Shelf Life & Product Testing
It is a mandatory requirement all entrants to the Food Production Unit understand and abide by all of FERA LTD Policies & Procedures.
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Document Reference Number | 3.8 |
Document Sub-Sections |
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Issue Number | 1.0 |
Issue Date: | 05/01/2024 |
Last Reviewed Date | 05/01/2024 |
Reviewed by | Board of Directors |
Next Review Date | Annualised 05/01/2025 (Earlier if any significant changes made or required). |
Responsible Officer(s) | Board of Directors |
Distribution |
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Storage | Stored on the intranet. |
Document Control | Uncontrolled Copy Unless Printed on Yellow Signed Paper or accessed on intranet. |
Amendments with date of amendment. | Nil |
Document Notes | Nil |
Intranet Link | |
Authorised by | Adeel Iqbal |
3.8.1a SHELF LIFE & PRODUCT TESTING PROCESS
Validating product shelf-life is obtaining and documenting any evidence that proves that the shelf life of a food is accurate and that the food will maintain its safety and/or quality until the end of that shelf-life.
3.8.1b SHELF LIFE DEFINITION
Shelf-life is the period of time over which a food maintains its safety and/or quality under reasonably foreseeable conditions of distribution, storage and use (Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs). The shelf-life of a food begins from the time the food is produced and/or packed.
3.8.1c SHELF LIFE MICROBIOLOGICAL CRITERIA AND KEY TERMINOLOGY
Under Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, food should “not contain microorganisms their toxins and metabolites in quantities that present an unacceptable risk for human health”.
Shelf Life | Shelf-life is defined in legislation as the ‘date of minimum durability’ and means the date until which a food retains its specific properties when properly stored. The date of minimum durability provides for two different indicators of food shelf-life - 'Use By Date' or a 'Best Before Date'. |
Use-by Date | Used for food which from a microbiological point of view, is highly perishable and therefore, likely after a short period to constitute an immediate danger to human health. After the ‘use-by’ date has passed, a food is deemed unsafe and must not be sold or consumed |
Best Before Day | The date until which a food retains its specific properties when properly stored, i.e. quality characteristics such as appearance, odour, texture, flavour etc. |
3.8.2a PRODUCT SHELF LIFE TESTING PROCEDURE INCLUDING THE USE OF UKAS ACCREDITED LABORATORIES
Full description and specification of the product |
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Consider and establish the characteristics of the food, taking into account, reasonably foreseeable conditions of storage, distribution and use and possibilities for contamination |
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Consult available scientific literature regarding the survival and growth characteristics of microorganisms of concern |
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Use predictive microbiology to estimate shelf-life. |
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Carry out laboratory testing, i.e. durability and/or challenge testing. |
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Apply a safety margin to shelf-life. |
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Label the food with a shelf-life declaration. |
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Ongoing monitoring and verification |
3.8.3a SHELF LIFE STUDIES
Definition of shelf life used by FERA Ltd:
“The time after production that a product remains safe and acceptable for consumption with no deterioration in acceptability. This includes sensory properties, chemical properties and microbiological characteristics including spoilage organisms.”
Shelf Life Determination Phases |
1. Use of internationally and historically recognised experience dating back many centuries. This includes the amalgamation of the experience of specialist farmers and current farming techniques and overall accepted limits of shelf life. |
2. Establish an internal study using organoleptic properties of dates to arrive at estimated values |
3. Establishing a highly accurate laboratory based study of shelf life. We have engaged the services of Intertek, a lab that provides clients across the world with quality control, research, testing, measurement, and certification activities for industry, commerce, markets, institutions, and governments. Industries benefiting from Intertek state-of-the-art laboratory services include consumer, petroleum, chemical, materials, energy, electronic, pharmaceutical, food, medical, minerals, and more. Testing follows ASTM, ISO, and many other industry standards. |
4. Ongoing monitoring and validation |
3.8.3b SHELF LIFE STUDY OUTCOMES BY PRODUCT
Item Number | Product Name | Product Shelf Life Testing Outcomes |
1 | FERA Chocolate Walnuts | |
2 | FERA Chocolate Pistachio | |
3 | FERA Nut Filled Medjools Half Dipped in Luxury Belgian Milk Chocolate | |
4 | FERA Nut Selection Box |