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How do antistaling agents help baked goods remain soft?
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Antistaling agents, such as glyceryl monostearate, help baked goods remain soft by preventing the texture changes associated with staling. While staling is often linked to moisture loss, it can also occur through starch retrogradation, a process where long-chain starch molecules aggregate into rigid structures called micelles.12
These agents function primarily as starch-complexing compounds. By interacting with starch, they inhibit the molecular changes that cause the crumb to become firm, crumbly, and less elastic. Additionally, these substances are thought to help maintain softness by preventing water loss from the starches within the baked product.21