Factors that are considered during Shelf life Analysis

We Indians do have a habit of storing the products abruptly. Mostly the spices, or not so used products are the ones that are stored in refrigerators or containers. Have you ever bothered why are we supposed to store the product at a certain temperature and for a prescribed period? Well, this is due to the shelf life of a product. One needs to understand, the factors that affect the shelf life of a product and the consequences of neglecting those factors.

Shelf life Analysis

Shelf life is the durability of a product when stored at a certain temperature. Shelf life is usually printed on the label of the product to educate the consumers about the long-lasting of the product. The shelf life of a product is increased with the help of preservatives or following some procedure. When the shelf life is discussed, ensuring your product is tested with food testing laboratories in India becomes essential.

As said few factors affect the sustainability of the product. Here are the ones that are considered while testing the product.

1. Moisture

While storing a product, it is essential to remove the moisture from the product to store it. The products such as spices and dried items are stored by extracting the recommended moisture. To improve the product’s durability, maintaining the moisture content is necessary. The increased moisture surges the chances that a product does have moulds or fungus. Hence, while the shelf life analysis is tested in laboratories, the moisture content is considered a priority.

1. Temperature

Storing a particular product at the mentioned temperature affects the shelf life of a product. Think, if you store the frozen product at room temperature, will they last for a longer period? Well, no, storing a product at the right temperature allows improving the shelf life of the product. Also, ensure that the products are not frozen unless it’s mentioned as this influences the sustainability of a product.

1. Oxygen

When any food product is analyzed for shelf life, the oxygen factor too is considered. A food stored with no oxygen presence lasts for a good period. The oxidation of the compounds in the food is to be avoided and hence, FBO ensures the product is oxygen-free.

1. Infestation

When a product is manufactured, different items are added. The variety of items added affects the shelf life of a product. At times, the added product can attract the insect. The infestation of a product is checked to ensure how the product can be stored to refrain the insects.

1. Warning

Certain products grab the attention of the consumer due to specific conditions. Some products have mentioned warnings on the product. Botulism food poisoning clearly describes the consequences of consuming improperly preserved food products. If you love the packet of chips, you might be aware, if the packet is stored open, the chips lose their crunch. Hence, such products are to be stored in an airtight container. All, those warnings are verified during the shelf life to understand the sustainability of a product in certain circumstances.

1. Packaging

When a finished good is provided to the consumer, they’re made available in a certain container or packaging. Also, the instruction for storing is mentioned on a product. While conducting shelf-life analysis, the effect of packaging on the sustainability of a product too is checked. Most products have mentioned ‘store in airtight container’ and those instructions allow to ensure the durability of a product as well preserve the nutrients in a product.

1. Shelf date

• Use by’ and ‘best before’ are the common terms seen on the food packets. The analysis allows verifying the shelf date on the products. Those dates are mentioned to guarantee that the consumer does not consume the product post mentioned specific period.

Conclusion

Shelf life analysis plays an important role in FBO as well as consumers’ ends. FBO might lose the trust of consumers if the shelf life is misleading. Not conducting those analyses costs the health of the consumers. FSSAI food testing laboratories in India are genuine ones to rely upon to certify your product is safe to consume.

Equinox is a leading Fssai Approved & Nabl Accredited Food, Water & Air Testing Lab with 16+ years of experience. With a Pan-India presence, we are also Industry Leaders in Food Safety Auditing and FoSTaC Training.