ESTABLISHING FOOD PRODUCT SHELF-LIFE
WHAT DOES PRODUCT SHELF-LIFE MEAN?
Shelf-life is determined as the length of time a product may be stored and remains suitable for use or consumption.
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Shelf-life is dependent on several factors such as the type of ingredients used in the food product, manufacturing process, type of packaging used and storage of the food product. Product shelf-life may be indicated on food products by labelling them with 'Use by', 'Sell by', or 'Best before' dates.
HOW TO DETERMINE SHELF-LIFE OF A PRODUCT
There are a few ways to determine shelf-life. The direct method and accelerated shelf-life testing are commonly used.
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DIRECT METHOD
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The direct method is real-time, where it involves storing the product under the recommended storage conditions and monitoring the growth of micro-organisms and food sensory properties such as appearance, odour and taste.
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ACCELERATED SHELF-LIFE TESTING
The direct method can be time-consuming for food manufacturers especially for food products with long shelf-life. Hence, accelerated shelf-life testing may be a preferred option. It involves subjecting the product to elevated conditions such as extreme temperature, moisture content and pH to rapidly increase the rate of product deterioration. Actual shelf-life is determined with established algorithms using the rate of product deterioration and acceleration.
At CMM Food Consultancy, we have 20 years of working experience in various sectors within the food industry. This equips us with the industry knowledge and experience in assessing your product's shelf-life and the best and most appropriate method to determining so.
Contact us to discuss more about your product!