Page 50 - FoodFocusThailand No.181 April 2021

STRONG QC & QA

Technologies to

Extend the Food & Beverage Shelf Life

Shelf life is the time duration of the food, throughout which the food quality and its nutrients stay intact, fresh,
and safe to consume. In the food manufacturing industry, shelf life plays a major role in determining the quality
of the food. Where in the industry, the food is continuously exposed to the fluctuating environment, it usually
loses its shelf life; therefore, it is crucial to conduct regular shelf life evaluations.

Consumers today expect to purchase high-quality fresh food items, aim of this technique is to cause enzyme inactivation. This is mainly
and prefer it to stay fresh for a long time. There are several processing employed for products like vegetables. Fruits are usually not treated
methods employed by the companies to extend the shelf life of their food under this method.
products. According to Fitibility.com, there are more traditional processing
Below are a few common ways which are usually employed by the methods to preserve food such as canning, sugaring, drying, curing,
companies to increase their product’s shelf life. pickling and vacuum packing. Depending on the type of food you have,
you need to choose an appropriate method.
Processing Methods
Several processing methods can improve the shelf life of a food product. Temperature
The most common methods are pasteurization, sterilization, fermentation. Temperature plays an essential role in determining the shelf life of a
Scientific techniques like thermal processing or pasteurization involve product. Food companies control the temperature during each stage of
giving mild heat treatment of below 100 C to the food products, to food processing and manufacturing. Manufacturing the food items in a
o
decrease the microbes present in the commodity. temperature-controlled environment is the most commonly used
Another common technique of food processing is blanching, where technique to increase the shelf life of an edible product.
the food is pre-treated with mild heat with hot or boiling water. The prime If at any stage during manufacturing the food product faces a
temperature abuse, the shelf life can significantly reduce. A temperature-
controlled environment is used during the food processing stage to give
an accurate result.
Chemical Usage
Food chemicals are widely used by companies to extend the shelf life
of their products. The companies do not use chemicals directly on their
products, but they first combine it with other methods, so that the
chemicals do not harm the quality.
The food companies generally add antioxidants and oxygen
absorbers to reduce the oxidation, which enhances the product’s shelf
life. Some companies even add the oxygen absorbers in small pouches
with the food packets to maintain the set life of their manufactured food
products.
Modified Product Atmosphere
The packaging of a product can define its shelf life. Usually, the
companies that deal in fresh food products pack their items in a controlled
atmosphere, free of oxygen. They use the “Modified Atmosphere
Packaging (MAP)” technique to contain their final product, which keeps
the oxygen to enter the packaging.
To protect the fresh food, the companies infuse a mixture of different
gases other than oxygen into the pack, which keeps the food stay fresh
for long. Some companies even use vacuum packaging to keep their
products like fruits, vegetables fresh for long, which gives an attractive
touch to the items and is likable by the consumers.
Product Irradiation
Food irradiation means to expose the food products and its packaging
to ionizing radiation. The process of exposing the food to the radiation
effectively destroys the microorganisms or harmful bacteria that are
responsible for spoilage, or that can cause illness after the consumption.
While the ionizing radiation never comes directly in contact with the
food, it is still able to destroy the living bacteria, insect infestation, etc.
present inside. This technology improves the safety aspects of food
products and plays an important role in extending the shelf life of the
products. The process of product irradiation is mostly used for
pasteurizing milk, canned fruits, and vegetables, etc.
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