Extending the Shelf Life of Food Products

If I have a range of products that are 24 months shelf life

and I have a range of products that are 12 months shelf life

Is there any reason why I would not be able to extend the shelf life on the 12 months to 24 months bearing in mind that both use the same the same ingredients (although different composition) and arrive, stored, mixed, packed in the same way?

Murae

Have you done a shelf life study on the 12 month product at 24 months? Were the results the same as the 24 month product?

Hi Murae,

As a corollary to the previous post -

What is the reason that composition variation causes a 100% difference in shelf life ?

Further ditto the above.

Composition can affect the shelf life i.e. water activity, pH etc has a big affect on shelf life. Packaging also has an effect e.g. foil is better than some flexible wraps. Gas flushing also helps. 

Have you done any shelf life studies on the 12month products?

Hi All,

There is no reason for the difference in shelf life apart from they are 2 different brands (both our own)

The packaging used is the same, products are packed the same and all raw materials are treated the same as in checks/storage etc.

Analytically Raw Material tests are carried our for each so there is not any part of composition that is open to unknown issues.

Likewise a range of the 12 month product has been tested when at 24 months which showed product analytically and visually there were no issues.

the 24 month brand was acquired, when acquiring a new business which it was already producing, the 12 month we were already producing on our site. 

Murae

Hi Murae,

I think you are saying that if, for the 2 brands X,Y,  minimum acceptable "Quality" = A, then

Quality of brand X after 24 month is >= A

and

Quality of brand Y after 24 month is >= A

So shelf life for each of brands X,Y is >=  24 months

If I have a range of products that are 24 months shelf life

and I have a range of products that are 12 months shelf life

 

Is there any reason why I would not be able to extend the shelf life on the 12 months to 24 months bearing in mind that both use the same the same ingredients (although different composition) and arrive, stored, mixed, packed in the same way?

 

Murae

Hi Jayaprahesh,

I agree with yr conceptual comments.

Shelf life validation tests should certainly be done under controlled conditions.

Hopefully labelled shelf lives are conservative.

Hi Jayaprahesh,


I agree with your comments in general but for the purpose of my question each brand is treated exactly the same as mention before, packaging the same etc.


As we incorporated a brand the was already set at 24 months I have been tasked to find out why our 12 month brand cannot be the same due to the similarities with each.


I cannot seem to find what will determine an answer as I have carried out testing etc. which has not shown that it would be an issue micro/nutritionally


Murae

We are manufacturer of WVTR&OTR, any help, please feel free to contact me.