Sustainability study
During food storage, certain changes can occur in food products. Changes that affect the quality of the food, the functional value of the final product, consumer acceptance, and often also on the human health may occur during storage of foodstuffs.
Almost all foods require a shelf-life declaration, i.e. the period of time during which a food, storage under specified conditions, maintains nutritional value, quality indicators (physicochemical and microbiological), which do not exceed the established criteria set by the applicable regulations and the sensory changes do not cause a loss of acceptability.
General food safety requirements, are defined in Regulation which state that food shall not be placed on the market if it is unsafe, injurious to health or unfit for human consumption.
Sustainability study should be conducted in the following circumstances:
- development of new products,
- development of new processes,
- preparation of new packaging,
- significant change of ingredient(s) or packaging of an existing product,
- change of the production place or production device,
- no prior shelf-life tests.
Sustainability study allows to evaluate the range and direction of changes in products over time. The shelf life testing can consist in:
- testing of products stored during the designed period of the shelf life – as required by the specifications or standards (temperature, relative humidity, light) and is applicable mainly to low-processed and short-shelf life products.
- testing in accelerated conditions i.e. accelerated aging tests, which are carried out under the influence of selected external factors, most often elevated temperature and/or humidity or UV irradiation. Accelerated shelf life testing enables to quickly estimate the product’s durability, but due to simulated conditions it is necessary to confirm the results under standard conditions, in order to verify the safety and quality of the products at the end of the real shelf life. This type of analysis can be performed in the laboratory of J.S. Hamilton, in Poland
Conducting of the accelerated shelf life testing to determine durability is not easy. All stages – project development, analysis and final results summaries require direct cooperation between the laboratory and the producer. Due to the many years of experience in this field, J.S. Hamilton Poland SA laboratory may be helpful to producers working in the food market.
Challenge test
Challenge testing is designed to provide behavioural information on inoculated microorganisms intentionally introduced into food products and one of the methods for shelf life determination. Microbiological challenge testing can be introduced to raw materials during the manufacturing process, intermediate products or finish goods to any fresh product carefully selected from the comprehensive risk assessment evaluation.
The concentration and the growth rate of inoculated microorganism simulates product’s intended shelf life and provides the professional guarantee for the product safety throughout the whole shelf life of the product.
J.S. Hamilton Poland sp. z o.o. Laboratory will provide the microbiological Challenge testing to evaluate the growth potential (δ). The purpose of the study is to ensure that ready-to-eat food meets the safety complying criteria specified for the selected microorganism throughout their shelf life.
