# Why DO croutons come in freshness-sealed packets? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2003, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-croutons-come-in-freshness-sealed-packets/146756 "2003-01-05T09:00:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-croutons-come-in-freshness-sealed-packets/146756/1 "2003-01-05T09:00:29Z")
I received an email the other day, citing things that Geoge Carlin allegedly said. I have no way right this second of confirming or denying whether he did, but the list included a question as to why croutons, which are essentially stale bread, come in freshness-sealed bags. Now that I think about it, it’s a decent question. So why DO they come in freshness-sealed packets? Does the FDA mandate and any type of bread/bread product be perserved in such a manner? ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-croutons-come-in-freshness-sealed-packets/146756/2 "2003-01-05T09:14:31Z")
Believe it or not, they _can_ go stale. They don’t taste too good (IMHO) when they’re this way. If you’ve ever left out a package of Oreos without wrapping them tight, and had one about 3-4 days after initial lay-out, you would find the texture comparable with spent croutons. ---
**Author:** ![partly\_warmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@partly\_warmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partly_warmer)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-croutons-come-in-freshness-sealed-packets/146756/3 "2003-01-05T09:23:31Z")
Right. Contrary to another thread a couple days ago, dry bread is not the same as stale bread. (And moisturizing stale bread will not turn it back to normal.) They’re protecting the croutons from becoming stale. And also from having outside oders affect them, but that’s secondary. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-croutons-come-in-freshness-sealed-packets/146756/4 "2003-01-05T10:08:10Z")
Croutons aren’t stale bread. They’re _toasted_ bread. They’re supposed to be _crisp_. If you let them absorb moisture from the air, they aren’t crisp anymore. Try eating soggy potato crisps and tell me if they taste and feel right. ---
**Author:** ![Daylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/45deac/32.png) [@Daylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylon)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-croutons-come-in-freshness-sealed-packets/146756/5 "2003-01-05T11:40:30Z")
Yup…I can attest that eating stale croutons is like trying to grind concrete in your mouth… D. ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-croutons-come-in-freshness-sealed-packets/146756/6 "2003-01-05T14:31:59Z")
Plus if they were not sealed, they could get soggy! Put some toast in a cookie jar and it will absorb water from the cookies… ---
**Author:** ![SandWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@SandWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandWriter)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-croutons-come-in-freshness-sealed-packets/146756/7 "2003-01-05T15:40:34Z")
You just have to know the universal law of staleness. Crunchy foods will go soft, soft foods will become crunchy. Unless you live in the Denver area, then you only have to worry about soft food becoming crunchy (lack of humidity). As explained above, croutons are crunchy as they are toasted bread and will sponge up water if left out. Now the real question is why do they wrap the outside of the straw when it is the inside you are worried about. -Sandwriter