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Shelf Life Studies &
Design
FTC International Consulting can help you find the optimum shelf
life for your product and help you achieve it. Pathogen Modeling &
Challenge studies can be an effective means of testing whether your
product supports the growth of disease causing organisms. Our shelf
life consultants have been through product shelf life designs, shelf
life studies, shelf life extension and shelf life testing with
various health authorities and satisfied customers.
Shelf Life Studies and Testing
Frequently, food manufacturers and health authorities inspect
products and facilities for bacteria, viruses, yeast and mold. Some
organisms are pathogenic (disease causing), whereas others are
completely harmless and in some cases even beneficial both to the
product as well as to the consumer. Even the presence of some
harmful bacteria may not spell disaster for your product or your
facility.
At FTC International
Consulting, we can help you interpret the test results, review &
recommend procedures for control of organisms and get food
microbiology working for you.
For some more information on Microbiology
Factors for Stable Shelf Life
The shelf life of a product is determined by several factors:
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Packaging -
whether a package is designed to keep oxygen, light, moisture &
bacteria out of your product;
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Storage -
whether a product is stored at ambient, refrigerated or frozen
temperatures;
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pH - the amount
of acid in your product is intimately related with how likely it
is that bacteria will grow and spoil your product;
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Water activity -
a measure of the available water in your product for organisms
to grow can provide an accurate prediction of how stable your
product is;
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Free fatty acids
- a measure of the stability of the fat in your product, an
whether it is likely to go rancid;
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Stability of
emulsions and mixes - certain emulsions are more stable than
others. How do you prevent weeping and separation?
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Heat processing
- What are the temperatures that you use to process your
product? Are they adequate to destroy the organisms that can
cause spoilage, or worse, disease?
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Transportation -
The variations in temperature that your product will be
subjected to during transport, as well as the vibration may
cause major problems;
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Ingredients -
How clean and stable are the ingredients you buy? Do they
improve your product, or do they cause problems?
contact@ftcinternational.com
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