Allulose as novel ingredient for improving freshness of yeast-made bakery products

German consumers have high expectations for the freshness of bakery products. When products like burger buns or toast are not sufficiently soft, significant food waste results. In traditional recipes, sucrose plays several important roles, including extending the shelf life of bread, but it also adds undesirable calories. Allulose is a promising sugar alternative with several technological advantages, such as enhanced browning and improved freshness. This study investigated the effect of allulose on the freshness of yeast-based bakery products compared to sucrose and fructose. Regardless of grain type or flour, the use of allulose led to earlier starch gelatinization, which slowed down starch retrogradation. Storage tests of burger buns at 20 °C and 4 °C showed that buns made with allulose had a softer crumb, higher moisture content, and lower water activity (aw-value) over the entire storage period. The improved freshness was also confirmed by descriptive sensory analysis. These results suggest that using allulose can enhance the freshness of yeast-based bakery products and help reduce food waste caused by excessively dry crumbs. Allulose not only improves texture but also contributes to reducing the environmental impact of food waste by prolonging product freshness. • Allulose improves the freshness of yeast baked goods and reduces food waste. • Allulose leads to earlier starch gelatinization and slows down retrogradation. • Burger buns with allulose stay longer moist, but have a lower a w -value. • Sensory tests confirmed the improved freshness of allulose baked goods. • DSC analyses and sensory studies show the advantages of allulose over sucrose and fructose.