Food Safety and Shelf Time
Shelf life is defined as the period of time for which a product remains safe and meets its quality specifications under expected storage and use conditions. The shelf life determines the durability date (“Use By” or “Best Before”).
The manufacturer is responsible for determining the shelf life and must take into account microbiological safety and stability, physical characteristics (such as texture and color) and organoleptic quality. Whilst microbiological stability is influenced by the presence or absence of spoilage microorganisms and their growth, microbiological safety depends on the incidental presence of pathogens and their ability to survive, grow or produce toxins in the product during distribution and before appropriate use by the consumer.
Both microbiological safety and spoilage must be considered when assessing microbiological shelf life. The primary requirement is to ensure that products are safe at the time of consumption. Once that is assured, the conditions that may lead to product spoilage must also be addressed.
Reference: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PREPACKAGED CHILLED FOOD, ECFF Recommendations December 2006