English
Shelf life and stability testing
Storage can cause certain changes in food products that affect food quality, consumer acceptability, and even human health. Every food product has a defined shelf life — that is, a period during which quality indicators (physical, chemical, and microbiological) do not deviate from the criteria set out in applicable regulatory documents, and during which the product retains its nutritional value and does not become unacceptable to consumers due to changed sensory characteristics. Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 sets out general food safety requirements, establishing that food may not be placed on the market if it is unsafe, harmful to health, or unfit for human consumption. Shelf-life testing makes it possible to assess the extent and trends of product changes over time.
Microbiological challenge testing provides information on the behavior of microorganisms deliberately introduced into food products and is one of the methods used to determine shelf life. Depending on the chosen risk assessment approach, this testing method can be applied to raw materials during the production process, to intermediate products, or to the final food product.
The concentration and growth rate of the inoculated microorganisms simulate the intended shelf life of the product and provide an expert-confirmed guarantee of product safety throughout its shelf life. The J. S. Hamilton Poland sp. z o.o. laboratory carries out microbiological testing to assess the growth potential of microorganisms (δ). The aim of this testing is to ensure that ready-to-eat food products meet the safety criteria established for selected microorganisms throughout their shelf life.
Testing is carried out in accordance with the following documents:
- EURL Lm TECHNICAL GUIDANCE DOCUMENT, used as the basis for shelf-life testing of ready-to-eat products with regard to Listeria monocytogenes (version 3, 6 June 2014, amendment 1 – 21 February 2019);
- PN-EN ISO 20976-1:2019-05. Microbiology of the food chain — Guidelines for conducting challenge tests of food and feed products.
Microbiological challenge testing is important for manufacturers of ready-to-eat food products. This testing determines not only the growth potential (δ) of Listeria monocytogenes, but also the product's microflora and its changes, as well as changes in the product's physical and chemical properties (pH, water activity) over its shelf life.
Contact our specialists to develop a shelf-life testing program tailored specifically to your product!
Accelerated tests, i.e., accelerated aging tests, are carried out by applying the effect of certain selected external factors (these factors are usually elevated temperature and/or humidity, or UV radiation). Accelerated shelf-life testing allows for a quick assessment of a product's durability; however, because of the simulated conditions used, the results must be validated against those obtained under standard conditions in order to verify product safety and quality at the end of the actual shelf life. Conducting accelerated shelf-life tests to determine shelf life is not straightforward, so the manufacturer and the laboratory must work directly together at every stage — project design, analysis, and summarizing the final results. Accelerated shelf-life testing is carried out only for products that can be stored at room temperature and whose shelf life is not shorter than 1 (one) year.
Contact our specialists to develop a shelf-life testing program tailored specifically to your product!
Product shelf-life testing involves storing products for the specified shelf-life period under the conditions indicated in the specifications or standards (such as temperature, relative humidity, and lighting). Hamilton offers its clients storage of food products at room temperature (23 ± 2 °C), in a refrigerator (2 ± 2 °C and 4 ± 2 °C), and in a freezer (–18 ± 2 °C). Other storage temperatures can also be arranged by agreement.
Contact our specialists to develop a shelf-life testing program tailored specifically to your product!
