What Is Shelf Life?
A shelf life study is a demonstration that the product remains safe and of acceptable quality for the declared period. Three approaches are used: REAL-TIME monitoring (the product is stored under declared conditions and analyzed at regular intervals), ACCELERATED study (deterioration is accelerated at high temperature) and CHALLENGE TESTING (the product is inoculated with the target microorganism and its reproductive behavior is examined).
Purpose of Shelf Life
The purpose is to provide basis for the expiration date or recommended consumption date declaration. This declaration is the responsibility of the manufacturer and must be supported by data.
Which Products Is Shelf Life Applied To?
- Cold chain products and ready meals
- Dairy products and delicatessen
- Unlu mamuller
- Packaged fresh produce
- Canned and dried foods
In Which Sectors Is Shelf Life Used?
Standards Related to Shelf Life
- TS EN ISO 20976-1 (challenge test — microorganism breeding behavior)
- TS EN ISO 11133 (medium preparation and performance)
- (EC) 2073/2005 Annex II (guide to shelf life studies)
- ISO 4121 and ISO 8586 for sensory evaluation
Shelf Life Conditions
- Storage condition
- Condition declared on the label; Also abuse scenario can be evaluated
- Time points
- Defined points during and beyond declared shelf life
- Parameters monitored
- Microbiological, chemical, physical and sensory
- Challenge test
- The reproductive potential of the target pathogen is evaluated according to ISO 20976-1
Equipment for Shelf Life
- Climate chambers
- Microbiology laboratory
- pH and water activity meters
- Sensory evaluation panel facilities
- Kimyasal analiz sistemleri (peroksit, TBA vb.)
Sample Requirements for Shelf Life
- Samples taken from the production line, with packaging to be sold
- Separate sample required for each time point and each condition
- Declared shelf life and storage condition must be stated
- Formulation, pH and water activity data must be submitted
Duration of Shelf Life
Real-time operation inherently lasts for the declared shelf life and cannot be shortened. Accelerated studies provide earlier insight but do not fully replace real-time data. Challenge testing is carried out during the shelf life of the product.
Shelf Life Procedure
- 1The declared shelf life, storage condition and critical degradation mechanism are determined.
- 2The parameters to be monitored and time points are planned.
- 3Samples are stored under defined conditions.
- 4Microbiological, chemical and sensory analyzes are performed at each time point.
- 5If necessary, challenge testing is carried out according to ISO 20976-1.
- 6Shelf life is verified or revised by evaluating the data.
Shelf Life Acceptance Criteria
The acceptance criteria are that microbiological criteria (EC) 2073/2005 are met until the end of shelf life, chemical degradation indicators remain within the specification and sensory acceptability is maintained. All three must be provided together.
Evaluation of Results
Shelf life is mostly limited by sensory acceptability, not microbiological safety; However, the decisive factor in products where pathogens such as Listeria can grow is safety. Time-lapse studies do not predict microbiological behavior well because high temperature alters the microbial flora unrealistically.
Shelf Life Report
- Product description, formulation and packaging
- Declared shelf life and storage condition
- Monitored parameters and time points
- Results for each time point
- Reproductive potential assessment if challenge test was performed
- Shelf life conclusion and justification
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- (EC) 2073/2005 Microbiological Criteria Regulation
- Food Information Regulation (EU) 1169/2011
- Food Hygiene Regulation (EC) 852/2004
Food Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Shelf Life test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Food testing shows that a product is safe for consumption and contains what its label states. The family works along three axes: microbiological safety, chemical safety and nutritional composition. All three require different laboratory infrastructure, a different body of methods and a different turnaround time.
The most distinctive feature of the field is TIME PRESSURE. A steel specimen can wait on a shelf; a raw milk or fresh meat sample cannot. The time the sample was taken, the transport temperature and how long it takes to reach the laboratory directly determine the validity of the result. In food microbiology the cold chain record is therefore an inseparable part of the test report.
On the microbiological side there are two different questions and they must not be confused. DETECTION of a pathogen is a qualitative question: is Salmonella present in the sample or not? ENUMERATION of indicator organisms is a quantitative question and an indicator of production hygiene. The absence of a pathogen in a product does not show that hygiene is good; if the total mesophilic aerobic count is high, there is a problem in the process.
On the chemical side, pesticide residues, mycotoxins, heavy metals, additives, veterinary drug residues and process contaminants (acrylamide, furan, PAH) are measured. Multi-residue methods in this area (QuEChERS-based LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS) can screen hundreds of active substances in a single analysis; limits are defined separately for each product–substance pair.
On the composition side, protein, fat, moisture, ash, fibre, sugar profile, fatty acid composition, vitamin and mineral content are determined. These values are the basis of the nutrition declaration on the label and the tolerance ranges are defined in legislation — the difference between the declared value and the measured value must stay within that tolerance.
There is NO CE marking on food, and this shapes how the field works. Conformity is demonstrated through operating a HACCP-based food safety system, complying with labelling rules and not exceeding contaminant, residue and microbiological limits. A test result produces evidence not for a certificate but for a functioning system.
Allergen management carries particular weight. The presence of an undeclared allergen in a product is one of the most frequent causes of food recalls. Analysis here runs together with cleaning validation: it is shown that the line has been cleaned adequately after a production run containing an allergen and that the risk of cross-contamination is under control.
Voluntary schemes have become effectively mandatory in this field. Retail chains require their suppliers to hold a certificate under a GFSI-recognised scheme (BRCGS, IFS, FSSC 22000); without it, getting onto the shelf is practically impossible.
Method groups in this field
Pathogen detection
Detection of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, Cronobacter and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli; culture-based and molecular methods.
Indicator counts
Total mesophilic aerobic count, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms and E. coli, coagulase-positive staphylococci, yeasts and moulds, lactic acid bacteria, sulphite-reducing Clostridia.
Pesticide and veterinary residues
Multi-residue screening by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS with QuEChERS extraction.
Mycotoxins and contaminants
Aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, patulin; heavy metals (ICP-MS), acrylamide and PAH compounds.
Nutritional composition
Kjeldahl protein, fat and fatty acid profile, moisture, ash, dietary fibre, sugar profile, vitamin and mineral analyses.
Allergens and authenticity
Gluten, milk, egg, nut and soy allergen analyses; molecular methods for species identification and adulteration detection.
Commonly confused in this field
- Sampling is half the result. A sample transported at the wrong temperature or delayed gives an invalid result even if it is analysed correctly in the laboratory.
- The absence of a pathogen does not show that hygiene is good; indicator counts give separate information and the two are read together.
- A result from a sample taken from a lot can be generalised to the whole lot only if the sampling plan was set up statistically.
- Limits are defined in separate regulations by product group and are updated regularly; a conformity decision based on an outdated limit table may be wrong.
- For exports, the limits of the destination country may differ from EU limits; the same product may be compliant in one market and non-compliant in another.
Which decisions these results support
- Verification of the HACCP plan and process monitoring
- The basis for the nutrition declaration and allergen information on the label
- Health certificates before export and compliance with destination market limits
- Supplier and lot-based acceptance control
- Shelf-life studies and determining storage conditions
- Producing evidence for audits under GFSI-recognised schemes
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Shelf Life
Can we determine the shelf life in a short time with accelerated study?
Gives reasonable prediction for chemical and physical degradation; Not reliable for microbiological safety. High temperature changes microbial behavior unrealistically. Final verification is done with real-time data.
Who determines shelf life?
The manufacturer determines and supports it with data. The legislation does not give a fixed period; The duration is determined by the characteristics of the product, its packaging, storage condition and the operating data obtained.