The Whole Package

Shelf life & packaging

A product that goes soft, stale, rancid or separates too early almost always fails from one or two identifiable mechanisms. The Whole Package is our diagnostics, shelf-life testing and packaging service: first understand what is really happening to the product, then decide what to change in the formulation, the process or the packaging.

awTgperoxide / TBARSOTR · WVTRQ10 · ArrheniusASLT

Why a food product spoils too quickly

Shelf-life failure normally results from one or more identifiable physical, chemical, microbiological or packaging mechanisms:

Moisture uptake or loss, and moisture migration between product components.
Lipid oxidation and off-flavours.
Aroma or flavour loss, and colour degradation.
Microbial growth.
Emulsion breakdown, syneresis, protein aggregation.
Loss of crispness, hardening or softening.
Package-barrier failure, seal leakage, exposure to oxygen or light.

We first identify the dominant failure mechanism and the conditions that accelerate it. Then we evaluate changes to formulation, processing, storage and packaging.

How we investigate a shelf-life problem

An investigation begins by defining the intended shelf life, storage temperature, distribution conditions, packaging format, product quality at the start of storage, the specific defect observed, and the point at which the product becomes unacceptable.

The first step is a shelf-life simulation that gives a clear picture of the processes at play. We then select measurements and storage conditions: water activity, moisture, texture, oxidation markers, colour, flavour, package atmosphere, seal integrity and microbiology. Then we run shelf-life studies, including accelerated ones. The investigation should establish the cause of deterioration and a recommended way to address it.

Accelerated shelf-life testing (ASLT)

An accelerated study exposes the product to carefully selected stress conditions to increase the rate of a defined deterioration mechanism: elevated temperature, controlled relative humidity, increased oxygen exposure, light exposure, temperature cycling, or packaging with a selected barrier level.

We select the study conditions, measurements, sampling intervals and failure endpoints according to the expected mechanism. Where the mechanism and the data support it, kinetic modelling (Arrhenius, Q10) is used to estimate behaviour under normal storage. Accelerated testing complements real-time testing rather than automatically replacing it, because excessive stress can create a different failure mechanism from the one that occurs in normal storage.

Determining the shelf life of a product

We design and manage a shelf-life study that shows how product quality and safety change under defined storage conditions. The study may combine real-time storage, accelerated storage, instrumental analysis, sensory assessment, packaging evaluation, microbiological testing through an appropriate laboratory, and kinetic or mechanistic modelling.

A reliable shelf-life conclusion normally requires product-specific evidence rather than a general estimate based on the product category. The final recommendation depends on the product, packaging, manufacturing process, expected distribution conditions and the agreed quality and safety limits.

Which packaging will extend shelf life

The correct packaging depends on what is causing the product to deteriorate: oxygen-sensitive products need low oxygen transmission (OTR); moisture-sensitive products need a low WVTR; light-sensitive products need opaque or UV-protective materials; respiring fresh products need controlled gas transfer; fragile products need mechanical protection; MAP products need gas barriers and reliable seals.

We evaluate the product, expected storage conditions, package dimensions, headspace and failure mechanism before recommending materials or technologies. We have particular experience with vacuum and modified-atmosphere packaging, including fresh-cut applications.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my snack go soft after two weeks?

Usually moisture uptake from the air, or moisture migration from a moist component (fruit, filling) into a crisp one. When the water activity of the crisp component rises past a certain point it crosses its glass transition and softens. The fix may be in the formulation (balancing aw between components), the process (further drying), the packaging (low WVTR) or a combination. That is measured, not guessed.

How long does a shelf-life study take?

Accelerated testing gives a first read within weeks; real-time confirmation takes at least as long as the shelf life you want to claim. We define the design, measurements and schedule in a proposal once we understand the product and the failure.

Do you also run microbiological tests?

Accredited microbiological, chemical and nutritional tests are run by suitable external laboratories. We design the study, run the storage and physical measurements in-house, and integrate the external results into the conclusion.