R&D&i

Shelf-life is the period in which a food remains safe to consume and/or retains its quality in reasonable foreseeable distribution, storage and usage conditions. The shelf-life of a product starts the moment it is produced and/or packaged and can depend on numerous factors and handling conditions.

This kind of study allows for obtaining and documenting of any evidence that proves that the shelf-life of a food is precise and that the food will remain safe and/or will retain its quality until the end of said shelf-life.

Though the general responsibility for food safety falls on the food trade operators, there is not a generic method to estimate and establish the shelf-life of foods. Based on our experience, at CNTA we propose a food shelf-life estimation methodology based on studies under standard or accelerated conditions, whenever possible.

Thanks to this we can:

• Estimate, establish and verify the safety and quality of the foods throughout their shelf-life.
• Establish the expiry/preferable consumption date with certainty, to be included on the label