12 replies to this topic

[matheusdb]

Hi,

 

Does anybody know how does the raw material expire date reflects on your finished product expire date? Our nuts have a 18 months shelf life, but our seasoning supplier states 1 year shelf life for his spices...  

[Charles.C]

Hi,

 

Does anybody know how does the raw material expire date reflects on your finished product expire date? Our nuts have a 18 months shelf life, but our seasoning supplier states 1 year shelf life for his spices...  

Dear matheusdb,

 

I guess it's rather obvious but I would suggest the first step is to justify both dates.

Hopefully you will then be able to correct the latter.

 

Rgds / Charles.C

[debaduttajayaprakash]

Hi 

Seasonings are usually made with various herbs and spices and if they are natural herbs and spices then I will say 1 year is bit very low as technically there is no shelf life for natural herbs and spices but to meet the food safety requirement a set BBE date should be in place to make sure micro loads and any inducing factors ( I.e. aW) is well within limit and do not pose any human health hazards. At the end of the day the recipe in the seasoning will determine it. 

If there is no complex ingredient in the seasoning and it is just made of spices , herbs and salt naturally two years shelf life is quite OK and you can also verify it by doing an end of shelf life micro testing or just carry out a micro testing for the final product before packing and do another test after packing and storing as required for two weeks and another test and try to extrapolate the micro growth graph for an fair idea .

 

If the nuts are coming for 18 months and seasons for 12 months of course the end product shouldn't have more then 12 months self life . And if your seasoning supplier can extend the shelf life based on some practical evidence that will be great. 

[Charles.C]

If there is no complex ingredient in the seasoning and it is just made of spices , herbs and salt naturally two years shelf life is quite OK and you can also verify it by doing an end of shelf life micro testing or just carry out a micro testing for the final product before packing and do another test after packing and storing as required for two weeks and another test and try to extrapolate the micro growth graph for an fair idea .

 

Useful input. Thank you.

 

Not my area but  I suppose the shelf-life criteria might also be sensorial ?

And perhaps related to the pre-processing of the spice ?

Is there any convenient reference compilation ? (probably the next question from the OP )

 

(added - I have the mental but unconfirmed impression that "natural" [contaminated] spices have been the cause of various product failings in the literature, and maybe with an acceptable Aw also. )

 

Rgds / Charles.C

[moskito]

Dear Matheusdb,

 

shelf life of raw materials and shelf life of processed foods using the raw material - that is a different view. For that reason in many cases we reduce the shelf life of raw materials because at the end the final product needs a shelf life of additional e.g. 12 month, i.e. would you due just a worst case calculation? Nuts, used at the last day of supplier raw material shelf life + product shelf life means total shelf life of the nuts is 30 month !!!

We now the blanched almonds used in baking will result in a rather short shelf life of the final biscuit due to double heat treatment causing with special ingredients rancidity.

In your NPP you should cover this by doing shelf life stability testing under worst case conditions.

 

Rgds

moskito

[solrac]

For clarification purposes, best by dates of raw material used must fall within the best by date of the finished product, correct? If not shelf life extension of the raw material must be requested regardless if the customer is the one who dictates the shelf life of the product, it must be supported by shelf life study.

[Hank Major]

I would say that 18 months is too long for most nuts and 12 months is way too short for most spices.

[zanorias]

For clarification purposes, best by dates of raw material used must fall within the best by date of the finished product, correct? If not shelf life extension of the raw material must be requested regardless if the customer is the one who dictates the shelf life of the product, it must be supported by shelf life study.

Referring to a particular food or in general? If the latter, it would surely depend on the ingredients, product and processes involved. For some products I expect it may be the case. However for many the binding of raw materials will create a product with different properties to the individual raw materials and thus justify its own shelf life. I.e. a pickled finished product. Consider also cooking; a sponge cake will have a shelf life that exceeds the butter used to make it, because the properties and micro hazard between butter and sponge cake are very different therefore require their own independent assessment.

[solrac]

I am referring to spice blends. E.g. I am blending a certain spice, best by date of ground ginger is 4.20.19, can I use that ground ginger as a component of my spice blend that will have an expiry date or best by date of 4.20.21?

[Hank Major]

I am referring to spice blends. E.g. I am blending a certain spice, best by date of ground ginger is 4.20.19, can I use that ground ginger as a component of my spice blend that will have an expiry date or best by date of 4.20.21?

 

Can you ask your supplier to give you an extension letter for the item expiring on 4.20.19?  With spices the issue is not food safety but food quality. Dried spices lose their flavor and aroma over time, but they do not support bacterial or fungal growth unless they are improperly stored or get an insect infestation. 

 

The rule of thumb in spice blends is that the ingredient with the shortest shelf life or the soonest expiry sets the shelf life for the product. My personal opinion is that this may be too harsh, especially if the blend has lots of added salt (or even added sugar) as these tend to be preservative.

Edited by Hank Major, 12 April 2019 - 08:22 PM.

[solrac]

Thank you. And I agree but with all the regulations and verification/validation protocol, we need to be on top of this. :-)

[Hank Major]

Thank you. And I agree but with all the regulations and verification/validation protocol, we need to be on top of this. :-)

 

I make it a practice to consider the regulations inadequate. They don't explain enough, rather than requiring too much.

[Charles.C]

Presumably it's also possible to simply evaluate the components quality with time within a straight mix. After all, the shelf life of mix is supposed to be (occasionally)  verified ?.