Recently, a couple of CFIN members reached out to our YODL community looking for food shelf life evaluation test laboratories and service providers in Canada. The support from our community was immediate, as usual.
I'm a nerd by nature, but an IT nerd nevertheless, and this topic sparked my curiosity to learn more about food shelf life studies, a critical aspect of the food industry.
So I connected with @Nicole Detlor, the Director of Conestoga College's Food Research & Innovation Lab, a renowned institution that provides innovative solutions and research to help Canadian food processors extend the shelf life of their products. Nicole graciously agreed to answer a few questions and share her expertise:
- What are the key factors you consider when designing a food shelf-life study?
The first thing we do is to figure out the likely mode of shelf-life failure. This depends on many factors such as product pH, water activity, processing, packaging, storage conditions and ingredients – the complete product needs to be considered.
- How do you customize your shelf life studies to meet the specific needs of different types of food products?
The likely mode of shelf-life failure will be unique for each food product and it’s important that we understand this first, so we don’t miss anything. Based on this we make a plan to measure how these factors may change over the course of the shelf-life of the product, using laboratory methods wherever possible. This may include parameters such as: microbial spoilage, fat oxidation or colour change. It is important to have a control product to compare over the course of the shelf life. Sometimes accelerated shelf-life studies can provide results faster, but these methods do not always give reliable information, we must ensure the impact of acceleration is well understood.
- How do you ensure that shelf life tests integrate with food safety and quality regulations?
Our first step is to review processing, measure pH and water activity so we understand the food safety of the product. If we have any concerns based on formulation and processing, we will address those first with our partner. Ideally we also want to do a shelf-life study on a product that has been produced under its final processing conditions.
- Can you provide examples of how your services have helped Canadian food producers improve their product shelf life?
We’ve worked with many small and medium sized businesses to review their formulation and processing, to make suggestions to improve their shelf-life. Each approach is unique and needs to be tailored to the capability of the organization we are supporting. This could include suggesting natural preservatives, reducing pH, providing information about thermal processing or other novel processing techniques.
- What emerging technologies or innovations are you currently exploring at Conestoga Food Research & Innovation Lab?
A significant area of interest right now is the changing regulations in packaging and their potential impact on shelf life of food products. We’ve conducted several shelf-life studies with packaging manufacturers to help them demonstrate and/or understand the impact of the novel packaging material on food products. There are some exciting innovations in packaging, and we’ve been very encouraged by the results achieved thus far.
Nicole and her team are making significant strides in ensuring the food we eat is safe and lasts longer. Their dedication to innovation and quality is truly inspiring. Stay tuned for more insights and innovations in the food industry. If you have any questions or want to learn more about Conestoga College's services, reach out to Nicole at ndetlor@conestogac.on.ca.
#foodinnovaton #Foodtech #shelflife #ConestogaCollege
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Thursday Thought on Foodtech is an experimental weekly column or post co-written between my colleague @Lavina Gully and myself. We may use generative AI tools to research and enhance the content. When content from AI tools is used, it is credited in the post. Follow us every Thursday for more thoughts on Foodtech and join Canadian Food Innovation Network's YODL community to connect with innovators coast to coast: https://yodl.ca/home
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None of the organizations, companies, or products or mentioned in this article are sponsors of this content.