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About J. Peter Clark
Expertise
How various processed foods are made; ways to improve manufacturing; how to make a new food product.

Experience
Employment history: Research Engineer, U.S.Agricultural Research Service, Associate Professor Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Director of Research, Continental Baking Company, President, Epstein Process Engineering, Inc., Vice Presdent Technology, Fluor Daniel, Inc., Consultant to the Process Industries

Organizations: American Institute of Chemical Engineers (Fellow) Institute of Food Technologists, American Association of Cereal Chemists, American Association of Candy Technologists, American Society of Agricultural Engineers,

Publications: Several Encyclopedias (Kirk and Othmer, Chemical Technology; Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition; Wiley Encyclopedia of Food Science and Technology; Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems); five books, two book chapters; numerous journals.

Education: BSChE Notre Dame PhD University of California, Berkeley

Awards: AIChE Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Division Award 1998

Clients: Major food processing and pharamaceutical companies.

You are here: Experts > Industry > Food Engineering > Food Engineering/Manufacturing > preservative for swedish apple pie

Food Engineering/Manufacturing - preservative for swedish apple pie

Expert: J. Peter Clark - 5/20/2009

Question
i make a swedish apple pie that I am thinking about selling to the public. First off, do I need to use a preservative? If yes, what do I use. The apples in the pie are not pre-cooked. Apples are sliced and put directly in the pie plate and the ingredients are poured on top then baked.

Answer
Most baked pies are sold fresh, refrigerated or frozen. They don't usually need preservatives, but they have finite shelf lives. You find the safe shelf life by testing - holding at various temperatures, watching and tasting to see what happens and when. Depending on the moisture content of the filling and how the pie is packaged, it may grow mold, the crust may become soggy, or something else may happen. The baking process pretty much sterilizes the pie and if it is protected after cooling, it should last at least a week at room temperature. You can observe "use by" dates on pies and other baked goods in markets to see what others do. Fresh is best, of course!

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