Real Life Science Project

Fresh Bread

When you go to the grocery store, what are some of the factors that make you choose the products that you buy? Could it be the flavor, the price, or the length of shelf life? This project focuses on the shelf life of an essential found in every kitchen.....bread.

I began the experiment buying four different brands of bread. I bought :

• Nature's Own White Wheat Bread
  
  
  
• Nature's Pride 100% Whole Wheat Bread




• Mary Jane's Old Fashioned White Bread
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Wonder Whole Grain Wheat Bread

I wanted a different variety of popular brands.

Important Variables

There were four variables that were addressed in this experiment.

1. Expiration Date- the dates had to be the same: April 13
   
   


2. Storage- I wanted the storage to be common-the kitchen counter
   
   
3. Simulation of Use- I opened each bag once a day to expose the bread to air



4. Temperature- temperature of the kitchen stayed at 72-76 Fahrenheit
   
   

The experiment began on March 28, 2008.


I charted each day's progress. I charted the same characteristics for each bread. The softness was charted on a scale from 1 to 5. 1 being the softest and 5 being the hardest. The presence of mold would be noted with an (M).

• Softness or Hardness
  


• Presence of Mold

Link to CHARTING THE PROGRESS

RESULTS
The Wonder Whole Grain Wheat Bread began and ended with a (1) on the scale of softness. However, this bread developed mold on the bottom of the loaf on April 23. The Natures White Wheat Bread began with a (2) on the scale, but changed to a (3) on the scale. This bread did not develop mold. The Natures Pride 100% Whole Wheat Bread began and ended with a (1) on softness scale. However, this bread developed mold the quickest. Mold was discovered on the bottom of the loaf on April 17, only four days after the expiration date. The Mary Jane Old Fashioned White Bread began on with a (2) on the softness scale but ended with a (4), which was the largest change on the scale. Also, this bread did not develop mold.

Pictures of Mold

Limitations
There wer two differnt limitations that I recognized. The first is the packaging of the breads. The whole wheat breads had clear packaging on the bottom of the loaves, where the mold began first. The white breads had colored packaging on bottom of the loaves. The white breads did not have mold. The packaging may have had an affect of the growth of mold. Also, I wasn't able to seperate the slices of bread and allow more air in the package. In real life, the slices of bread would be exposed to more air. This could also affect the growth of mold.

Other Links

A child’s mold experiment
http://www.kidzone.ws/science/mold.htm

http://www.sciencefairadventure.com/ProjectDetail.aspx?ProjectID=77

Scientific article about bread mold
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/05/08/bread.mold.may.hold.secret.eliminating.disease.causing.genes

Prevention of Mold
http://www.ehow.com/how_4549588_preventing-bread-mold.html

FDA : Molds on food

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/molds_on_food/index.asp

Standards:

GLE 0407.Inq.1 Explore different scientific
phenomena by asking questions, making logical
predictions, planning investigations, and
recording data.

GLE 0407.Inq.6 Compare the results of an
investigation with what scientists already accept
about this question.

GLE 0407.Inq.4 Identify and interpret simple
patterns of evidence to communicate the findings
of multiple investigations.