Most white bread sold in supermarkets is preservative full, even in Europe and Japan. It’s required because the supply chain (from baking to on shelf) itself costs at least half a day or a full day depending on the setup.

A similar bread baked at home has a shelf life of 2-3 days before it is not fluffy soft anymore. This puts a big constraint as the feedback for the next batch is literally time critical. A longer shelf life enables bulk distribution per store which reduces logistics cost and improves per unit cost

Oh, I guess I’m lucky to have a corner shop with fresh bread, not just the same supermarket one

So… The bread in supermarket is high in preservative chemicals, which is why it can stay ‘fresh’ for days. The one from a local bakery (boulangerie or pattisere or whatever) will have a shorter shelf life since they don’t have a long supply chain to manage

There’s not much evidence that the preservatives are bad or the supermarket bread is inferior, but I do miss the fresh smell and crack of the bread when I end up eating the (imo inferior) supermarket bread

Tank you