Oxidative Stability and Shelf Life of Crackers, Cookies, and Biscuits

Cookies, crackers, and biscuits are foods that contain substantial amounts of lipid (i.e., fat). Introductory comments will be provided to define cookies, crackers, and biscuits. The introduction will be followed by a discussion on the ingredients and issues related to ingredients common to the aforementioned products. Product stability and strategies to control the oxidation through the use of antioxidants and packaging will be presented. Whenever possible, hypothesized mechanisms of oxidation and antioxidant activity supporting research are provided wherever necessary and in some cases the authors may include some comments. The chapter information is based on literature after 1990 with only a few exceptions. The authors recommend the reader conduct a search for references prior to 1990 as some of the foundation for antioxidant, in particular synthetic, application in crackers can be traced to the 1950s.