4 replies to this topic

[FSQAManager2025]

Good morning! I have several questions regarding shelf-life and can use any help/advice you can give me. My predecessor conducted shelf-life testing in 2024. How often should this be conducted? Should I be doing it annually? Also, from what I can tell based on the results, the testing only last four months. Our HACCP plan currently states that our shelf-life (for frozen products specifically) is 24months. Can we make this claim if we do not have the test results to back it up? Based on the results, are shelf-life would technically be four months right? Since that's how long the testing was conducted? Please help to clear this up. My facility is a beef slaughter/processing plant. Thank you! 

Edited by FSQAManager2025, Yesterday, 03:14 PM.

[kconf]

Your lab should be able to help you with this. Have them send you an analysis at the end of shelf life study. It does not necessarily need 24 months of micro testing, they could be going by statistical data. You can carry sensory evaluation for 24 mos if needed. 

[BigGaz1982]

Shelf-life can also include industry standards as well as your own lab results. For example, if you are making bread then the industry standard shelf-life could be Day of Production (DOP) +5 days.

 

You could then use this, but would need to monitor and produce your own results too. You may find that fruited or sugared products last longer, and the risk here is mould - so quality.

 

If you are talking about a USE BY date, then this needs to be pretty accurate as this is about food safety.

 

You should conduct shelf-life testing based on risk. You could review the number of complaints you have, the risk category of the food, and the testing methods used. On a product with a 2yr shelf-life, you would expediate testing at the laboratory (they would mimic a 2yr shelf-life instead of waiting 2yrs).

 

You can also keep your own samples too, and send these off towards the end of shelf-life.

 

Lets say you have a frozen product with a 2yr shelf-life if stored at -18c. Then you would need to determine the risk of the product should it nor meet shelf-life, and the likelihood of the shelflife being shorter. We could argue that it should easily last 18 months.

 

You then keep 10 samples in house, stored correctly and send one away at 18 months. You send another at 19 months, one at 20 months, and so on. You then send one away at 25 months and 26 months. You have 2 spare, so you may want to go to 27 and 28 months. This pushes your testing beyond what's on the label giving you a potential buffer.

 

You would typically do this once per year, but you can do this based on risk. If you are supplying your products to retailers, they will have their own requirements.

[SHQuality]

How often should this be conducted?

Shelf life testing should be conducted again if the production or storage process is changed in a way that reasonably could affected the shelf life.

For example:

• If you change the temperature, duration or pressure during a heating step in the production of a sauce 
• If you switch ingredients from a dried herb to using fresh ones instead.

[Tony-C]

Hi FSQAManager2025,

 

You might have got away with a lack of testing when first commissioning* but you need to carrying out ongoing shelf life testing**. Relevant extracts from the Standard and Guidelines below.

 

BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 9 * 5.1 Product design/development:

‘Where shelf- life trials prior to production are impractical, for instance for some long-life products, a documented science-based justification for the assigned shelf life shall be produced.’

Interpretation: ‘Ongoing verification of shelf life is covered separately in clause 5.6.3.’

 

** Also note Clause 5.6.3: ‘The site shall ensure that a system of validation and ongoing verification of the shelf life 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.’

 

BRCGS Interpretation Guidelines - Shelf-life verification:

'Shelf-life testing may be critical to product safety; for example, where the product is susceptible to the growth of pathogens. Therefore, after the initial shelf life is determined (see clause 5.1.4), the site is expected to have a programme of ongoing shelf-life validation and verification across its 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.'

 

As per BigGaz1982’s post you need to be testing at end of life.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony