5.6.1.3 - Shelf life assessment - Dried product

I am looking for some guidance on 5.6.1.3 -

 The site shall ensure that a system of ongoing shelf-life assessment is in place. This shall be based on risk and shall include sensory analysis and as applicable microbiological testing and relevant chemical factors such as pH and aw. Records and results from shelf-life tests shall verify the shelf-life period indicated on the product.

We produce several types of dried ingredients/products (made from a single, raw agricultural product) that has a shelf life of 12 months.

Aw is <0.25

moisture content < 3%

Product is packed into various retail sizes (vapour barrier bags) and bulk boxes of 25 lbs.

We have had one shelf life study conducted which only determined PV over several temperature ranges. 

My questions are:

1. When a shelf life study is conducted should we evaluate sensory, micro and any chemical changes over the study for each product? or do these requirements relate to our specs over the period of the shelf life?

2. What should be included in the RA to determine frequency?

​or maybe I'm way off!!

Any help would be great!

Thanks

Buggy

I'm not terribly familiar with BRC, however, I would suggest that yes, you should be performing a shelf life study on each product you produce.

if nothing changes in your process, you should never have to repeat the shelf life studies unless you add a new product, so your RA should include a statement like "if any changes are made to the process and/or in a new product is added shelf life studies will be performed at this time"

Hope that helps

Thanks Scampi, 

I don't quite understand the wording "ongoing" in this case. If we conduct a shelf life study for all products and the process/raw materials are not changed why would it have to be ongoing?  :headhurts:

Hi Buggy,

Hi Buggy,

Ongoing shelf life will be to ensure that the parameters of testing and of your product is continually being assessed.

This ensures that you will be aware of any potential shelf life changes in the product.

Murae

Hi Buggy,

 

Ongoing shelf life will be to ensure that the parameters of testing and of your product is continually being assessed.

 

This ensures that you will be aware of any potential shelf life changes in the product.

 

Murae

Thanks Murae. I get that we need to verify shelf life but I still don't quite understand what is meant by ongoing. If we have a shelf life conducted on on our products and the process/ingredients/storage conditions etc, do not change, how do I determine the frequency?

I would simply add a yearly attestation that the process and ingredient(s) have been reviewed annually = no changes= no repeat shelf life study

It will state that at least annually you've assessed the process and no changes made that would affect shelf life

Ongoing raw material assessment (ie each lot/load/shipment) should satisfy this i would think

Hi Buggy,

What is normal storage temperature ? Ambient ?

Any special packaging, eg vacpack/modified atmosphere ?

I deduce you have carried out some accelerated shelf life testing (ASLT) to predict shelf life ? I am rather surprised that only PV (Peroxide Value presumably) was monitored.

Have you done a (PV-satisfactory) shelf-life study over a  1 year  period ?

The site shall ensure that a system of ongoing shelf-life assessment is in place. This shall be based on risk and shall include sensory analysis and, as applicable, microbiological testing and relevant chemical factors such as pH and a w . Records and results from shelf-life tests shall verify the shelf-life period indicated on the product.

I interpret "ongoing" to mean that for items with "finite" shelf-lives, evidence is required that final product end-of-life analyses/assessments to justify the claimed shelf-life have been carried out and "maintained".  Testing/study frequencies are implied in the Standard to be required as "based on risk". One interpretation of the latter is (a) carry out shelf life studies by initially exceeding a logistically preferred frequency, say "F", and then (b) step-reduce down to "F" after (hopefully) obtaining satisfactory results. Such generic methodologies are documented in the literature.

(The BRC Interp.Guidelines document may contain explicit suggestions over this aspect).

Regarding yr OP/Query 1 - Based on previous threads here (and above paragraph) evidence is required to demonstrate Compliance with the BCPA Product Specification at the end of claimed shelf-life. And, presumably, similarly for evaluation stages during a shelf-life study (see "applicable" in clause 5.6.1.3).

A previous,.slightly related thread, is here -

http://www.ifsqn.com...ssment-program/

PPS  - FWIW, the draft proposal for BRC8 apparently contains a suggestion to modify the text of 5.6.1 to add -

requirement for ongoing validation of the product shelf-life

Thanks to all for your input. 

Charles, 

Our product is stored at ambient temperature with no special packaging. Product is packed into a pouch and sealed. 

PV was measured over a two year period...I think it is still sampled monthly and is still under the detectable limits. 

So, from what I can gather is that:

1. We need to perform ongoing shelf life study to ensure that by the end of the shelf lives the micro, physical and nutrient remain within spec.

2. A shelf life study should be carried out. Based on the results the RA will include frequency and should also take into consideration the survivability of Salmonella - due to low Aw and moisture.

I think I have a clear picture of how to carry out this task!

Thank you all on the IFSQN forum - What a great community!  :spoton:

Hi Buggy,

Hi Buggy,

your product is 12 months shelf life, so you will test interval for simplicity every 3 months. tests must include besides chemical analysis sensory evaluation like the change in smell or color and taste. use statistical tools to help in the evaluation and predict when product going to deteriorate from the trend. please keep the samples in same storage condition on the label

Thanks in advance,

Ahmed

Hi Chrisa,

Thks and yes, i think BRC expect to see evidence that the shelf-life study is not just a one-off project.

My experience is to run an overlapping selection of (sampled) products (typically 1yr to 2year shelf-lives) using, initially, monthly evaluations. If 6-month data is adequate, the interval is increased.

 

Hi Buggy,

 

this is the interpretation of 5.6.1.3 clause from official "BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 7 Interpretation Guideline" :

 

Sites are expected to have a programme of ongoing shelf-life evaluation across their range of products or product types. To achieve this, samples should be retained from some or all production runs.

Records must be available supporting the declared shelf life for each product or group of similar products. These may include, as appropriate, microbiological and sensory analysis, as well as relevant chemical factors such as pH and aw. Shelf-life trials extending beyond the stated life of the product, to ensure a margin of safety, may be required for some product types.

Where products have long shelf lives (e.g. some canned products), the shelf life should be based on similar products and take into account any particular features of the new product. The justification for the shelf life must be documented.

 

Think that will help!

 

Chrisa

 

Dear Chrisa

Can you share with us this guideline ?

Thanks