Nuked bread can last up to
60 days, according to the company, MicroZap, which spun off from Texas
Tech University. Among wasted foods, bread is a major culprit, meeting its end
in the garbage can once it becomes festooned with greenish growths of mold.
This usually happens within 10 days of the bread being baked. MicroZap’s method kills the mold
spores, keeping bread mold-free for two months and helping Americans reduce
some of their food waste.
The equipment, which looks
like a CT scanner for food, was originally developed to kill organisms like
multi-resistant staph bacteria and salmonella. But its developers realized it
also kills bread mold in about a 10-second zap. It works much like a home
microwave, but the waves are produced in various frequencies, which allows for
uniform heating, according to MicroZap CEO Don Stull.
