Introduction
The shelf life of food products may be defined as the time during which the food products will remain safe, retain desired sensory, physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics as well as complies with any label declaration when stored under the recommended conditions.
Based on shelf life, food products can be categorised as Perishable, semi-perishable and non-perishable foods.
Milk, eggs, meat, fish, poultry and most fruits and vegetables fall under the perishable food category. Perishable foods spoil within a couple of days.
Onions, potatoes, apples, and flour fall under the semi perishable food category. Semi perishable foods stay for a week to months.
Sugar, legumes, coffee powder are examples of non-perishable foods. Non-perishable foods stay good for up to a year.
Factors affecting the shelf life of food products
The shelf life of food begins from the time the food is produced and is dependent on many factors, such as the ingredients used, processing methods, and type of packaging and storage conditions.
How to determine the shelf life of food products
The shelf life of food products is determined by conducting storage trials under recommended storage conditions. Products should be inspected at suitable times and samples tested for stability of the critical physical and chemical and sensory characteristics. These trials also provide an opportunity to commence microbiological tests for both spoilage organisms and the cold-tolerant pathogens. The trials should continue beyond the targeted shelf life unless the product fails earlier. The trials lead to an understanding of target levels and ranges for the critical physical and chemical characteristics of the product over the intended shelf life.
Legal requirements for shelf life of food products
Food should not be placed on the market if it is unfit or unsafe for consumption. FSSAI sets out the requirements for shelf life declaration of food products and lists out the products which are exempted for shelf life declaration.
Use-by date/Expiry date/ recommended last consumption date means the date which signifies the end of the estimated period under any stated storage conditions, after which the food probably will not have the quality and safety attributes normally expected by the consumers and the food shall not be sold.
Best before means the date which signifies the end of the period under any stated storage conditions during which the food shall remain fully marketable and shall retain any specific qualities for which tacit or express claims have been made and beyond that date, the food may still be perfectly safe to consume, though its quality may have diminished. However, the food shall not be sold if at any stage the product becomes unsafe.
Reference: FSSAI
