Shelf Life
Determining shelf life is an important issue when developing new food products. Long shelf lives are particularly difficult to fit within commercial time constraints. In these cases, some form of shelf life prediction is useful to test the effects of new recipes. The challenge is to know the limiting factors for shelf life - which vary by product - and to develop effective testing methods.
Leatherhead performs ‘real time' and ‘accelerated' shelf life testing; the latter is a useful predictive tool for both NPD and troubleshooting. We test at a range of controlled temperature, humidity and light conditions, tailored for each product type.
Microbiology and Shelf Life
The shelf life of a product is based on specific factors affecting product quality. In the case of chilled products and products with high water activity (aw), microbiological stability is likely to be the determining factor for shelf life. However, for ambient stable products and those with low aw, sensory and physico-chemical changes determine the shelf life. These include staling, rancidity development, breakdown of texture, loss of flavour, colour changes and loss of functionality.
Key Service Features
- Re-formulation to extend shelf life and troubleshooting relating to structural breakdown - e.g. separation/precipitation/graining/bloom
- Risk assessment and complete microbiological analysis of your products during storage
- Micro-structural assessment of changes during storage
- Measurement of changes in texture, colour, rheology, and nutritional parameters such as vitamins and sugars
Sensory profiling using a highly experienced trained panel, to give a complete description of product quality characteristics and the way in which they change - Consumer testing to measure changes in acceptability levels over time
- Accelerated shelf-life testing under controlled climatic conditions
- Results interpretation and guidance as to what the results mean to your products
Sensory Shelf Life Evaluation
The shelf life of food and drink products that are microbiologically stable is determined by chemical and physical changes within the products that lead to a deterioration in sensory characteristics.
Leatherhead's key to measuring such changes is to use appropriate sensory evaluation procedures, frequently in combination with relevant chemical and physical measurements.
Our main tests are:
- Sensory profiling - using a highly experienced trained panel, to give a complete description of product quality characteristics and the way in which they change
- Benchmarking - using a screened consumer panel, to give a cost-effective picture of likely consumer response
- Quantitative consumer testing - using a representative consumer population, to give a complete and statistically valid picture
Leatherhead advises its clients on the relevance of measured changes to likely product shelf life.
To learn more about our Food Safety and Food Shelf Life services please contact Dr Evangelia Komitopoulou.
Print this page
Members-only Forum Days
Nutrition Day, Safety Day, Sensory Day, Innovation Day
Free to Members - Click here for 2012 Dates »
