7 replies to this topic

[qui]

How can the manufacturer extend the Best Before Day from 12 months to 18 months in a frozen  par-baked product, when the ingredients don't change?

 

What's the legislation for this matter in Europe?

 

Do the factory must show the microbiological analysis results?

 

Thanks for your help guys!

[scppvjune]

Hello Quimica,

Normally, shelf-life for frozen products depended upon the storage condition. If the manufacturer need to extend shelf life, shelf life study should be conducted. The study should include microbiological analysis, organoleptic (sensory) evaluation, and chemical analysis (if applicable).

The major concern for shelf life (best before date) is food safety, but product characteristics (e.g. texture, color, odor, flavor), sometimes, can be criteria to determine the product shelf life as well.

If you can prove that the product is safe and no significant change from 12 months to 18 months, there should be no problem to extend the best before date of the products.

Regards,

[Mesha]

Hi Quinica,

 

Plan a real time and accelarated stability study for your product which should include evaluation of microbiological, organoleptic and physico-chemical degradation if any.

 

Real time study will be at the recommended storage conditions of 18 months and the accelarated will be for 6 months where the product would be subjected to a kind of forced degradation using varable temperature & humidity conditions.

 

Good luck & Regards,

[Tony-C]

How can the manufacturer extend the Best Before Day from 12 months to 18 months in a frozen  par-baked product, when the ingredients don't change?

 

What's the legislation for this matter in Europe?

 

Do the factory must show the microbiological analysis results?

 

Thanks for your help guys!

 

Other things may have changed such as the process or equipment.

 

Some Best Before Dates are determined by quality at end of life and they may have decided there is no microbiological change in the extra 6 months and the quality is acceptable.

 

Regards,

 

Tony

[RuiM]

Quimica,

 

Some good advices were already written above, but this issue is a little subjective in my opinion.

 

The manufacturer can work hard to extend the shelf life of his product, however if the storage temperature is not stable (fluctuating temperatures from the production until end consumer), the shelf life will decrease from months to days.

 

For example, sometimes frozen products delivered to retail is not stored in refrigeration immediately... The consequences, we all know.

 

I think the shelf life could be extended if you decrease the temperature from -18ºC to -20ºC, without changing the ingredients...

 

Rgds.

 

 

 

 

[Charles.C]

Dear All,

 

I hope I'm wrong but I suspect Quimica is hoping that someone is going to wave a magic wand and justify how the shelf life of Product X can be extended without doing anything except change the label ??

 

It surely relates to how the current choice of 12 months was decided in the first place ?

 

The usual (first) answer is that the knowledge as to what is legally possible typically resides with the customer since they will have to legally commercialise it. Yes ??

 

Rgds / Charles.C

[Mathieu Colmant]

Hello,

 

From my point of view, there is no issue about bacteriological hazard during a frozen shelf-life. Parasites are killed when frozen (that's why some fish species have to be frozen for 24 hours before to be used for sushis) and bacterias don't grow at such temperatures.

-18°C has be chosen just because it is 0°F, but any temperature below -10 or -15°C will have the same effect.

 

The evolution of frozen foods is linked to organoleptics issues. A frozen product can dry, and after some time, the defrosted products will not have same characteristics than a fresh one.

 

However, i don't know any possibility to make accelerated tests on that purpose. Maybe, if you have old samples, you can find some that are near the 18 months of storage.

[qui]

Dear All,

 

I hope I'm wrong but I suspect Quimica is hoping that someone is going to wave a magic wand and justify how the shelf life of Product X can be extended without doing anything except change the label ??

 

It surely relates to how the current choice of 12 months was decided in the first place ?

 

The usual (first) answer is that the knowledge as to what is legally possible typically resides with the customer since they will have to legally commercialise it. Yes ??

 

Rgds / Charles.C

I just wanted to know if the factory has to carry out a full microbiological, chemical and organoleptic analysis before changing the Best Before Date under the current legislation in Europe. 

And if they are obligated to show this study if requested.

Thanks for all replies!!!Very useful