Microbiological shelf life evaluations
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Ever wondered what the expiration date on your food REALLY meant? Our food safety experts explore the reasoning and protocol behind microbiological shelf life evaluations. Learn who controls this important method in food testing and how to store your food properly.
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Microbiological shelf life evaluations
- 1. Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations Ivy Cho Heather Smith Business Development Director Research Microbiology Assistant Manager ivyc@abcr.com heathers@abcr.com
- 2. What does shelf life mean? • It is the extent of time for which a food remains usable, acceptable for consumption, or saleable from manufacturing until reaching the “best before date”, “sell by date”, or “use by date”. – These terms all relate to the quality of the food Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 3. Terms used to describe shelf life • A "Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires. • A "Best if Used By (or Before)" date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date. • A "Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product. • "Closed or coded dates" are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer. Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 4. Shelf life influences Growers/ Producers Other suppliers Manufacturers Distributors Retailers Consumers Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 5. Factors that affect the shelf life • Moisture • Water activity • Fat/oil content • Alcohol content • Flavor loss • Texture changes • Color changes • Acid content • pH • Light exposure • Microbial spoilage Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 6. Real time shelf life evaluations • This is applicable in ambient, refrigerated, and frozen foods where the storage temperature is real time. • Microbiological evaluations are applicable in refrigerated (and sometimes ambient) foods. Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 7. Real time shelf life • Products are stored under normal conditions for the length of time desired by the client. Manufacturer may wish to evaluate products for a time length greater than the expected shelf life to determine the deterioration point Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 8. Microbial Quality Shelf Life Evaluation (refrigerated foods) • Products analyzed for applicable quality indicators (product specific) – Aerobic Plate Count – Gram-negative Bacteria count – Lactic Acid Bacteria Count – Yeast & Mold Counts • Assesses microbiological quality of a product (not safety) • Results best understood by concurrent microbial and organoleptic quality evaluations Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 9. Total plate count humor
- 10. Microbial Quality Shelf Life Evaluation (ambient foods) • Microbiologically safe/stable foods – Organoleptic Quality Shelf Life • -Microbiologically safe foods/not microbiologically stable under ambient storage conditions – Organoleptic Quality Shelf Life – Microbial Quality Shelf Life Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 11. Types of Microbiological safety testing 1. Chemical testing 2. Product Assessment 3. Challenge study 4. Growth studies 5. Lethality studies Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 12. 1. Chemical testing – Safety can often be addressed via minimal chemical testing, e.g.: • Water activity (aw) • pH • NaCl Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 13. 2. Product Assessment – Predictive modeling and safety assessment based on chemical parameters, storage temperature, shelf life, packaging, etc. Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 14. 3. Challenge Study – Products inoculated with pertinent pathogens – Inoculation level depends on study objective – Storage temperature and shelf life mimic worst case scenario Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 15. 4. Growth studies – Microbial levels monitored to detect outgrowth or control of pertinent pathogens • Example: Listeria monocytogenes challenge study in refrigerated deli products Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 16. 5. Lethality studies – Verify target lethality (e.g., 5-log reduction) in pertinent pathogens • Example: 5-log reduction of acid-tolerant pathogens in cold-packed, acidified hot sauce Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations
- 17. Questions? For additional information, please contact us at 352.372.0436 or visit our website at abcr.com Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluations