During the course of storage, food products undergo transformations that affect their quality and may also threaten the functional value of the products, their acceptance by consumers and, sometimes, the health of society. Both fresh, unprocessed products and products undergoing preservation have their shelf life, i.e. the date until which, when stored under specified conditions, the physicochemical and microbiological quality indicators do not exceed the limits set by the relevant legislation, the nutritional value is preserved and sensory changes do not lead to a loss of consumer acceptance. The correct determination of the shelf life of products is of great economic importance for food operators, as it significantly minimises the risk of product withdrawal from the market, customer complaints and thus strengthens the brand image.
The general food safety requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety, as amended, prohibit the placing on the market of food if it is unsafe, injurious to health or unfit for consumption.
Storage tests allow for the evaluation of the direction and extent of changes occurring in a product as a function of time and their effect on changing certain characteristics.
Shelf-life studies should be performed in the following situations:
- development of new products,
- development of new processes,
- preparation of new packaging,
- a substantial change to the component(s) or packaging of an existing product,
- relocation of the place of manufacturing of the production equipment,
- no previous shelf-life studies carried out.
J.S. Hamilton Poland laboratories perform two types of storage testing:
- testing under standardised conditions – in accordance with the requirements contained in specifications or subject standards (temperature, relative humidity, lighting). They are mainly used for products with a low degree of processing and a short shelf life (fresh meat and preparations, dairy products, some fruit and vegetable preparations, e.g. salads),
- tests in accelerated conditions, the so-called Accelerated Shelf Life Testing (ASLT) – are conducted using intensified action of selected external factors, most often increased temperature and/or humidity or UV radiation. They are used for durable products in which the slow dynamics of quality changes makes it impossible to obtain test results in a short time (e.g. tinned food, pasta).
During storage tests, the following quality characteristics are monitored:
- sensory,
- microbiological,
- chemical.
Conducting accelerated storage tests to determine shelf life is not an easy undertaking. All stages, from the development of the design, through the execution of the tests, to the final summary of the results, require direct cooperation between the manufacturer and the laboratory. Thanks to its long-standing experience in this field, the J.S. Hamilton Poland laboratory can be of assistance to manufacturers operating in the food market.
If you would like to organise storage tests for your products, contact our team today for further detail.