Improving Food and Beverages Products Shelf Lives

Introduction:

As customers become steadily health-conscious and demand for “clean-label” products grows, the food industry is hastening to develop new technologies to keep food safe and fresh for extended periods without disturbing its quality or flavour. 

Shelf Life In New Product Development

Several physical and chemical elements influence the food shelf life and beverages. Consumers and manufacturers alike have been looking for procedures to extend it for ages. The most revolutionary and inventive technology in this section are divided into three categories:

• Novel packaging options
• Innovative additives
• Food-treatment methodologies

What Are Novel Packaging Options?

Novel packaging techniques are the newest being used by food businesses to lessen the requisite for preservatives. Companies are swapping typically modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) with a novel mix of a skin-pack aluminium poultry tray and a film that excludes oxygen and toxic waste that may degrade the food, allowing for abrupt improvement in shelf life.

The food packaging shelf life has shown possibilities in increasing the shelf-life of potato crisps, poultry, almonds, cooked ham, and ready-to-eat vegetable mixes by captivating antioxidants such as oxygen or free radicals to avoid food spoiling. A resealable lidding film was recently established that commendable protected the freshness and flavour of cherry for more than a month. Packaging specialists are working on a flexible, layered packaging combining antioxidant selenium nanoparticles.

These packaging solutions are thermally stable, automation-friendly, durable, environmentally friendly, automation-friendly, retain food quality, and provide exceptional antioxidant characteristics. They have limits, despite their numerous benefits.

Innovative Additives

Several active research projects intend to extend the product shelf life and drinks by adding innovative additives to the food product itself.

The additives registered are safe and sourced from plants, and they don’t require any extra packaging development expenditures. Because the additives are only another component in the meal, they result in less waste, making them more environmentally friendly. Essential oils, herbs, and plant waste components are among the additions that can be employed. These plant-based additions might eventually replace synthetic additives like EDTA with further research.

Major food companies have developed a natural antioxidant solution based on rosemary for extending the shelf life of fat-rich meals by combating lipid rancidity. For example, food shelf life testing studies showed that extracts from rosemary, spearmint, and green tea had been used to prolong the shelf life of salad dressings and sauces beyond six months. The combination keeps its chelating properties, similar to EDTA, and is unaffected by pH fluctuations.

Interestingly, some of these substitutes use plant trash, reducing the cost of research for manufacturing processes. Researchers discovered that cellulose nanofibrils15 generated from banana trash might help ice creams be less susceptible to temperature fluctuations and melt more slowly. The ice creams with CNF are fewer in calories and have a better texture and creaminess.

Similarly, scientists have discovered a technique to extract the nutrients known as pomace from grape trash to extend the shelf life of fatty meals. Recycling plant waste to increase shelf life has the benefit of decreasing environmental waste while also yielding financial gains. However, the current method of extracting, detecting, and processing CNF and grape waste is time-consuming. Further experiments are being conducted to improve the technology before being used commercially through accelerated shelf-life testing.

Food Treatment

Aside from the methods outlined above, numerous research organizations have concentrated on developing novel ways to extend the shelf life of foods and drinks without relying on packaging or additives.

Food treatment is excellent in inactivating insects, spoilage-causing microorganisms, and fungal spores for food preservation without chemicals or additions. There are different methods the food manufacturer can determine the shelf-life of the products enhanced by this method. Furthermore, unlike packaging options, these alternatives do not cause trash. However, most have proved sluggish to commercialize, and attempts are being made to speed up industrial deployment.

To inhibit fungus development and preserve food quality, researchers used cold plasma18(CP), a combination of atoms, ions, and excited molecules at any temperature between 25 and 450oC. The major disadvantage is that it can harm sensitive foods. Researchers have developed a sort of ionizing radiation that may be used to irradiate fruits and vegetables and eliminate the bacteria that come with them. The method attempts to remove the use of harmful methyl-bromide as an antibacterial agent in food items while having no impact on the product’s quality.

In contrast to radiation, scientists are looking into using spray drying to increase the shelf life of milk and dairy products. Spray drying is a process that involves rapidly heating a liquid or slurry with hot gas to transform it into powder. However, the approach is still in its early stages of development, and temperature and pressure management must be optimized to avoid runaway reactions. The shelf-life testing cost can sometimes exceed the estimated budget. Researchers are also researching the use of microchip pulsed electric fields as an alternative to high-temperature short time (HTST) treatments to sterilize fruit juices in another fascinating physical treatment.

The microbial cell walls are destroyed by high-voltage electric pulses in this non-thermal food preservation method, electrocuting the harmful bugs!

Conclusion

Food preservation is no longer simply a problem for industrial clients but also consumers. Consumers are always demanding products with longer shelf life and higher food quality. Shelf-life testing procedures are more manageable than before. The research in this area is particularly intriguing since it is an industry that pays close attention to its customers. The industry is continually listening to its customers, and attempts to meet the demands of the knowledgeable and informed consumer are continuous. The moment has come for food industry innovations to rise to the occasion and deliver.

Food Research Lab Offers Food Shelf Life testing Services

Food Research Lab comprises a global food shelf life testing lab. We utilize our critical skills to work for our clients by reformulating products using a standard quantity of ingredients, achieving nutritional requirements, etc. We also help you reduce added sugar, increase protein level, extend shelf life, and improve production consistency for your product.

Reference

1. Kilcast, D., & Subramaniam, P. (Eds.). (2000). The stability and shelf-life of food.
2. Nicoli, M. C. (2012). An introduction to food shelf life: Definitions, basic concepts, and regulatory aspects. Shelf life assessment of food, 1-16.