Campden BRI to hold shelf life course for chilled foods

Campden BRI has announced it will be holding a one-day training course on methods for the evaluation and setting of shelf life of chilled foods.

The event, aimed at product developers, technical managers, food manufacturers, retailers and those involved in environmental health, is scheduled to be held on 14 June.

The course will cover the microbiological, chemical and sensory considerations of assigning an appropriate shelf-life and the specifications required when determining end of life, said Campden BRI.

“The accurate evaluation of shelf-life is a vital consideration in the manufacturing process,” said Dr Gail Betts of the organisations’ microbiology department.

She added: “If the shelf-life is set too long, there is the potential for food spoilage or the growth of harmful pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, not to mention the fact that the product will fail to meet stringent food safety legislative requirements. If it is too short, then manufacturing costs may be exorbitantly high, profit margins low and product unnecessarily disposed of by industry and consumers.”