Plastic Wrap

[TAPrice]

There is a nice little bakery down the street from me. I could walk there. I'd love to be a regular patron. There is just one problem--they individually wrap all their pastries in plastic wrap.

I'm convinced that plastic wrap makes all the pastries and baked good taste off. Am I imagining this? It's not that I taste something synthetic from the wrap, but everything tastes muted. It all reminds me of the pastries sold from carts at the student lounge in college.

What's going on here that makes things taste off?

[alanamoana]

the fact that the items are individually wrapped makes me think that they aren't fresh. that, more than the plastic wrap, is what is affecting the flavor in my opinion. it might be convenience, but i think that they use plastic wrap so that they don't have to either bake or purchase fresh items each day.

[chefpeon]

It all depends on how they are displayed too. If they aren't behind glass in a case and exposed to open air and grubby hands, they have to be wrapped per health dept. rules (in my state anyway).

I rarely do the individual wrap on anything I make, but I did individually wrap my gingerbread squares at Christmas time.....or they would have dried out immediately.

[TAPrice]

It all depends on how they are displayed too. If they aren't behind glass in a case and exposed to open air and grubby hands, they have to be wrapped per health dept. rules (in my state anyway).

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This place has glass cases for all the individually plastic wrapped baked goods. I understand the health concerns, but I don't think that's the issue here.

[Pam R]

I don't think it's the plastic wrap. I've never known it to leave a taste on anything. Maybe it's just their products.

[ejw50]

I don't think it's plastic wrap either. Some places, you can buy cakes with sides wrapped in acetate (a type of plastic)

[PastryGuru]

I haven't noticed that plastic wrap contributes a flavor to any baked product.

However, products that are wrapped in plastic wrap and left at room temperature may taste sour even though they don't look bad (i.e. moldy). This is especially true of moist items, like quickbreads and muffins, and it gets worse if the individually wrapped items are also stored in a glass case in a warm environment.

I'm guessing it's because there is no air circulating around the product and anaerobic bacteria flourish in that environment.

[Badiane]

I totally get what you are saying! To me, certain types of plastic wrap, particularly those bought cheap in huge rolls, leave a nasty aftertaste on everything they touch. I will have to peer over the counter at the deli nearby to see what brand they have, because every single time I buy something there, it tastes like a petroleum product. I have never noticed this issue with Saran, Glad or any other regular kind of supermarket type brand, just with the cheap-o stuff in bulk sizes.

[Nyleve Baar]

I've tasted that plastic taste on cheese that's been wrapped in saran (or whatever brand). I am quite convinced that some part of the plastic composition is absorbed by the fat (or is it the acidity?) of the cheese. It tastes nasty and I worry about what I'm eating. I no longer buy cheese chunks that have been pre-wrapped in a deli case. If they can't cut me a fresh piece, I'll usually go elsewhere. If I absolutely have no choice, I'll re-wrap the cheese immediately when I get home.

[duckduck]

I totally get what you are saying!  To me, certain types of plastic wrap, particularly those bought cheap in huge rolls, leave a nasty aftertaste on everything they touch.  I will have to peer over the counter at the deli nearby to see what brand they have, because every single time I buy something there, it tastes like a petroleum product.  I have never noticed this issue with Saran, Glad or any other regular kind of supermarket type brand, just with the cheap-o stuff in bulk sizes.

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I agree. The funny taste is there. The heavier stuff bought in large rolls from food supply places seem way stronger to me but I can taste it some times even with saran wrap.

[Pam R]

Do you think it's like canola oil? Some people can taste an off taste with things fried in canola oil -- others can't. Maybe some of us can taste the plastic and others can't. At home (and work) I have the big roll of food-service plastic wrap, and I've never noticed a plastic flavour on anything.

[duckduck]

Some people are more sensitive than others to a lot of things. Don't want to get off on a tangent and get deleted but every person *is* different. Some people are uber tasters. Some have no taste at all. Same with smells, sound, touch. I hear electricity runs through walls. There are books on "highly sensitive people" and sensory defensives. The majority of things in the world that bother me, don't seem to bother most people. Baking powder is one of the most noticable to me that lead me to my comparisons I did that I wrote up for eG. It's one of the things that don't bother some people and I just don't get it because for me, it's impossible to ignore.

[Nyleve Baar]

I agree some people are more sensitive than others, but in this case, I do think that some plastic wrap transfers quite a noticeable off-flavour. And only to certain foods. I use plastic wrap at home - I buy the large rolls that fit into one of those cupboard mounted thingies - and never detect that flavour on anything. But some commercial wraps - yes, the thick ones especially - definitely do leave a taste. I believe anyone would notice it if they were given a chance. It almost has a bitter taste - very very unpleasant and can ruin a big hunk of cheese.

Having said this, I also notice quite an off taste from canola oil and absolutely refuse to drink hot tea from a styrofoam cup. I can taste the styrofoam for hours afterward.

[Dianabanana]

No, you're not imagining it--it's that nasty food service plastic wrap that contaminates everything it touches. I can't tell you how many hunks of parmigiano reggiano I've had that were ruined by having been wrapped in that stuff. I always unwrap the cheese and put it in a Ziploc bag as soon as I get home. I definitely taste it in sandwiches that have been wrapped in that plastic, too. I don't ordinarily encounter baked goods wrapped in plastic, but I would imagine that buttery pastries would be particularly susceptible, since fats notoriously absorb odors.