In this USDA sbir phase I project, we will develop a proof-of-concept natural preservative that extends the shelf life of bread and other baked goods, by preventing or slowing the growth of mold

This will help reduce food waste: baked goods account for 4% of food waste nationally, or >$6 billion in economic loss, and this food waste contributes to environmental harms such as greenhouse gas emissions. Current artificial chemical preservatives (e.g., benzoates and sorbates) are increasingly subject to scrutiny by consumers and regulators, and may have unintended health consequences particularly on the GUT microbiome. Existing natural, bioprotection solutions do not provide protection to levels required by food manufacturers, and there is an urgent market need for higher performance natural alternatives. We will follow an innovative approach in which we precisely and intentionally combine the natural byproducts (called supernatants or fermentates) from individual natural microbial cultures (yielding a new ingredient which we call a "superculture"). Existing natural, bioprotectant products are based on individual strains and work through single mechanisms of actions; our project will identify and utilize proprietary synergies between a variety of bacterial cultures to replace chemical preservatives while maintaining or improving preservative performance. To do this, we will use state of the art computer model along with extensive screening of potential solutions in our lab. The output of this phase I effort will be validated superculture prototypes at the benchtop scale that would motivate a larger effort to optimize and scale a new product with significant commercial impact and societal and environmental implications.