Shelf-Life of Pre-packaged Food Products
An Industry Perspective
Dr. Ahmet Anbarci
Scientific & Regulatory Affairs
Kraft Foods CEEMA Region
Dubai International Food Safety Conference
24-26 February, 2009
Agenda
•
Kraft Foods in short
•
Shelf-life – Definition, Dimensions
•
Shelf-life  Kraft Foods RD&Q functions
•
Establishing and Managing Shelf-life
•
Testing, Principles, Parameters
•
Selected Aspects, Examples
•
Discussion
DIFSC, Dubai, 24 – 26 February, 2009 / Dr Ahmet Anbarci
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Kraft Foods Overview, 2008
DIFSC, Dubai, 24 – 26 February, 2009 / Dr Ahmet Anbarci
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Kraft Foods Overview, 2008
Worldwide headquarters in Northfield, Illinois, U.S.
Sales in more than 155 Countries
Operations in 70 Countries
With approximately 100,000 employees, more than 180
manufacturing and processing facilities
11 global or geographic Research and Development Centers
around the world
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One of Best Brand Portfolios in
Food & Beverage Industry
9 Brands over $1 billion annual revenue
50+ Brands over $100 million
40+ Brands over 100 years old
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Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa
Region
Fast Facts
Region headquarters: Vienna, Austria
Key markets in the region:
Bulgaria, Egypt, Romania, Russia, South Africa,
Turkey, Ukraine and the Gulf Cooperation Council, as
well as other Middle East & Africa Markets
Some key region brands:
Kraft cheeses; Tang powdered beverages; Alpen
Gold, Karuna, Korona and Milka chocolates; Estrella
and Cipso salted snacks; Rasco biscuits; Carte Noire,
Jacobs, Maxwell House and Nova Brasilia coffees.
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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
- Production Facility – Biscuits
- Employees: 138 (23% Saudi)
- Brands: Oreo, Ritz and Belvita
Kraft Foods in GCC
Kingdom of Bahrain:
- Production Facility - (Tang and Cheese)
- Employees:
287 (17% Bahraini)
- Brands: Tang, Kraft Cheese
United Arab Emirates:
- MEA Regional Office
- Employees:
130
- Lead Brands Marketed in GCC:
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Shelf-life, definition, dimensions
Shelf-Life is the time between manufacture and possible latest
consumption, wherein the characteristics of a food product are considered
to remain acceptable with following dimensions and aspects:

products must be safe

quality must remain acceptable

nutritional value needs to be maintained

commercial stability to be assured
- self-speaking, un-debated, un-compromised; HACCP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ consumer accepted quality; vital to gain consumers and
maintain their loyalty
- prime aspect for food; maintain claims on products
- package integrity, look; key for customers and at point of sale
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Packaged food over shelf-life
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Shelf-life  Food Research, Development & Quality
(Kraft Foods RD&Q)
Kraft Foods RD&Q is the owner of shelf-life and has the responsibility, expertise
and the infrastructure for establishing products’ shelf-life.
Category
Expertise
+
Geographic
Proximity
+
Functional
Excellence
• Coffee
• Banbury, UK
• Quality and Safety
• Refreshment Beverages
• Tarrytown, NY
• Scientific Affairs
• Grocery
• East Hanover, NJ
• Regulatory
• Biscuits and Cakes
• Munich, Germany
• Nutrition
• Confectionery
• Glenview, IL
• Research
• Savory Snacks
• Madison, WI
• Chemistry
• Cheese/Dairy
• Battle Creek, MI
• Microbiology
• Convenient Meals
• Melbourne, Australia
• Sensory / Consumer Insight
• Curitiba, Brazil
• Packaging
• Intellectual Property/ Patents
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Our RD&Q centre in Munich has the geographic responsibility for
West, Central, East Europe, Middle East and Africa
Global
 Glenview, IL
 East Hanover, NJ
 Tarrytown, NY
 Banbury, UK
 Munich, Germany
Functions in Munich
 Product Dev
 Process Dev
 Packaging
 Microbiology &
Food Safety
 Quality
 Chemistry
 Sensory
 Regulatory
 Scientific Affairs
 Nutrition
Geographic / Local
Madison, Battle Creek,
Melbourne, Curitiba and 50
other smaller centers
Munich – Geographic Scope
West, Central, East Europe, Middle East and Africa
Munich – Product Role
Cheese/Dairy, Convenient Meals, Refreshment
Beverages, Grocery, Chocolate Confectionery, Savory
Snacks, (Quality & Safety for Coffee)
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Same principles around the Globe
Kraft Product Safety & Quality Assurance Guiding Principles
• Product Safety/Public Health is our uncompromised priority.
• Food Safety is pre competitive.
• Food Safety is based on sound science and correct risk assessment.
• HACCP and our ISO based QCMS (Quality Chain Management
System) are central to our business process.
• Kraft applies common Food Safety & Quality Standards globally.
In addition we believe in:
• a systems and process driven approach
• a strong upstream focus with major supplier collaboration
• covering each and every component in the business Value Chain.
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Quality Chain Management System
Shelf-life evaluation and management is an essential part of successful food
quality management. Ideally, shelf-life is an integral part of an overall Quality
Management System through the entire value chain.
• Kraft Foods worldwide approach to the systematic management of product Safety and Quality is
called the Quality Chain Management System (QCMS).
• QCMS is a complete embodiment of the ISO 9001 quality system model enhanced to include the
product Safety and Quality requirements of Kraft Foods worldwide food businesses.
• QCMS defines the requirements throughout the process of design, procurement, manufacture,
distribution and customer/consumer product usage and relations.

Kraft Foods’ procedure on “shelf-life evaluation” is a fundamental part of QCMS and has to be
applied by all relevant employees around the world.
Objective: “All Kraft Food businesses shall have a process in place for establishing and
managing the shelf-life of all products.”
Scope: “Shelf-life evaluation applies globally to all KF businesses and categories. Key
elements are parameters, procedures, storage conditions, shelf-life management and
modification of shelf-life.”
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Food Value Chain
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Shelf-life, definition, dimensions
Shelf-Life is the time between manufacture and possible latest
consumption, wherein the characteristics of a food product are
considered to remain acceptable with following dimensions and
aspects:

products must be safe

quality must remain acceptable

nutritional value needs to be maintained

commercial stability to be assured
- self-speaking, un-debated, un-compromised; HACCP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ consumer defined quality; vital to gain consumers and
maintain their loyalty
- prime aspect for food; maintain claims on products
- package integrity, look; key for customers and at point of sale
DIFSC, Dubai, 24 – 26 February, 2009 / Dr Ahmet Anbarci
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RD&Q functions involved
RD&Q is responsible for the “design” and establishing shelf-life; Category
Product Development Groups lead, relevant RD&Q functions as listed below
support the process. Other parties along value chain consulted as required,
e.g. Manufacturing.
 products must be safe
-
Quality /Safety
Chemistry
Microbiology
Toxicology
Packaging
 nutritional value to be maintained
-
Scientific Affairs
Regulatory
Nutrition
Chemistry
Packaging
 quality must remain acceptable
Insight
-
Quality /Safety
Regulatory
Chemistry
Microbiology
Sensory / Consumer
- Packaging
 commercial stability to be assured
- Quality /Safety
- Regulatory
- Packaging
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Testing
Shelf-life testing is a vital part of new product development.
Existing products are re-evaluated, if an extension of shelf-life is
targeted or any changes are considered. Re-evaluation may also
be triggered by consumer complaints or quality issues.
Close to reality conditions pursued
-
Full shelf-life testing and beyond
Representative samples
Representative storage conditions
Consumer relevant sensory testing
Consumer research, if required
Testing protocols
-
Sampling
Testing conditions
Testing period
Schedule, intervals
Attributes, parameters
Methods
Record keeping
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Testing – parameters, questions to be
considered
Product Safety and Robustness are uncompromised and checked
and verified for the intended use and foreseeable misuse of
products.

risk of pathogens ?

risk of toxins ?

allergens ?
Shelf-Life beyond safety: Many parameters and a high number of
possible combinations for industrially packaged food lead to a
wide range of possible shelf-life’s.

product category, type, nature ?

micro-stability, risk of spoilage ?

chemical reactions ?

physical changes ?

organoleptic, sensory, consumer ?

packaging integrity and protection ?

transport and storage conditions ?

consumer behaviour, usage ?
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Shelf-life – Regulated limits?
Considering the complexity inherent to
shelf-life, i.e. many parameters, their
interaction, possible combinations (vs. the
time we have in this forum), only some
selected aspects/examples will follow.
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Aspects/Examples: Basics for micro risks
STATIONARY
LOG
DEATH
LAG
Microbiological Growth
Time of LAG phase determines maximum shelf life
possible.
LAG phase can vary depending on other
parameters and can be extended by improved
sanitation, processing, storage conditions,
preservatives, modified atmosphere or some
emerging technology.
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Aspects/Examples: Consumer Relevant
Shelf-life Testing
Key elements:
1. Representative Sampling
- Final testing with plant products only (pilot products only for pre-assessment)
- Freezing samples (= freezing the time)
- If products cannot be frozen, multiple lots testing (assess impact of lots’ variability)
2. Representative Storage Conditions
- All along the Value Chain (transport, warehouses, consumer households)
- Close to reality simulation (consider varying conditions, best / worst case scenarios)
3. Test plan/methods relevant to product, market, potential consumers alienation
- Internal sensory testing (people without project involvement, descriptive)
- Quantitative descriptive analysis (trained panel)
- Consumer acceptance testing (consumer liking, judgemental)
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Shelf-life of food products
Internal Sensory Testing
• At least three of the same participants at each tasting, involving people
without project background.
• Focus should be descriptive, not judgement. After documenting the
descriptive differences, judgement about the expected seriosity of deviations
may be necessary.
• Representative control product needs to be used as a reference.
• Project leaders organize the taste sessions, sample storage and ensure right
participants at each session. Consumer Sensory group provides the test
procedure and analysis forms.
• Project leaders own next steps as agreed by team
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Shelf-life of food products
Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA)
• A tool to test in an objective manner, whether sensory changes are perceivable.
• Generally recommended, when significant changes are expected / predicted over
shelf-life.
• In case of changes that are not necessarily negative: Perceivability and relevance
of changes need to be tested with consumers, to determine effects on consumer
acceptability.
• Key acceptance drivers are known from earlier consumer tests can be used to
judge the differences observed in QDA and the shelf life.
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Shelf-life, Consumer testing
Consumer Acceptance Testing
• For key products, and for critical cases, consumer acceptance testing is
recommended.
• Multiproduct Central Location Test of samples at different stages in shelf life, before,
at, and after end of shelf life at stake.
• Absolute safety of samples to be ensured via thorough micro testing.
• Test should be run with target consumers in the target countries. Participants need
to be unaware of the test background.
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Aspects/Examples: Cheese and many
parameters
Same category, different types, processing, storage conditions, packaging, …
=> Shelf-life’s in a range of few to 18 months.
12 months
18 months
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Aspects/Examples: Packaging materials
Substrate
OTR
(cc/m2/24hrs)
WVTR
(g/m2/24hrs)
Light Barrier
Strength
Foil
0
0
100%
Low
Aluminum laminate
<1
<1
100%
Medium
Polyester (PET)
90
40
<5%
Medium
Metallised PET (met-PET)
0.5
<1
>95%
Medium
PVdC coated PET
6
14
<5%
Medium
Biaxially Oriented Polyprop.
1900
6
<5%
Medium
PVdC Coated BOPP
10
5
<5%
Medium
Metallised BOPP (met-BOPP)
100
1.5
>95%
Medium
Biaxially Oriented Nylon (OPA)
45
260
<5%
Medium
PVdC Coated OPA
6
7
<5%
Medium
Glass Jar
0
0
<5%
High
PP Rigid
<1-200
<1-100
<5%
High
Tetrapak/Combibloc
0
0
100%
Medium
3 Piece Metal Can
0
0
100%
High
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Aspects/Examples: Packaging with the
right protection
High protection and other
factors help to achieve a long
shelf-life:
Glass
Jar
Processed Cheese in a
glass jar with a proven
shelf-life of 12 months.
Metal
can
PET
container
Composite
can
Plastic
container
Aluminium
laminate
Metalised
laminate
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Shelf-life: Regulated limits?
Considering the complexity of shelf-life, limits set for shelf-life of packaged foods would
either be overcomplicated (wide array, needs regular updating) or a weak compromise,
most likely at category minimum. Risks and disadvantages for all appear to outweigh
any advantages.
Consumers and all stakeholders along the value chain benefit from safe and high-quality
products with tested and proven shelf-life. While the added safety, quality and value
through regulated shelf-life limits is open to discussion, some risks and disadvantages are
certain for industrial, packaged food:
- Avoidable costs, economic penalty, if the limits set are too conservative, ,
i.e. at the category minimum (lowest common denominator)
- Risk of low quality products to consumers, if the limits set are too broad
- Risk of missing new aspects, development or scientific progress
- Low incentive, low motivation for industry to innovate or apply the “new”
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Shelf-life: Regulated limits?
Conclusions:
The food industry should perform due-diligence to judge, test and
establish the shelf-life for each single product they manufacture,
regardless how strict or wide the limits set by regulations may be.
Food companies in general have to have their products’ data and
expertise and to know about the nature, details and limits of their
products.
Shelf-life limits set for packaged food are open to abuse and do not
appear to add value, safety or quality of especially packaged food.
Shelf-life limits may be an unnecessary hurdle, especially for long tested
products with a good record in country of origin or in other markets.
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Shelf-life of food products
Thank you!
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