Shelf-Life Calculation of Packaged Food Products

ProUmid White Paper

Maintaining quality and sensory properties during production, delivery and storage is of great importance for food manufacturers, as consumer acceptance depends on a flawless product. Therefore, for each product, stability studies are conducted to determine the shelf-life.

The shelf-life of a product is directly related to the storage conditions. In ensuring the product’s shelf-life, the packaging of a product also plays an important role. In addition to protection against mechanical damage, such as shocks, vibrations, or compressive forces, protection against external climatic influences is an important task.

White Paper

For dry products, temperature and humidity, in particular, have a significant impact on quality and shelf-life. A critical value for food stability and safety can be marked at a water activity of 0.7. This is the point at which the growth of molds, yeasts, and bacteria begins, a process that not only results in sensory deterioration but can also lead to product spoilage that may be relevant to health.

This White Paper introduces a method to determine critical storage conditions and to calculate the shelf-life of dried food products. Predictions are based on the water vapor sorption characteristics of the dry food and on the water vapor permeability of the packaging.

The method presented is useful for estimating the shelf-life of packaged products depending on the storage conditions