Campden BRI updates shelf-life guidance
18 Mar 2020Campden BRI has updated guidance on shelf-life setting for the food industry. The new guidance is a result of close collaboration with industry experts to align it with recent developments in the area of shelf-life evaluation, including the implementation of new EU microbiological criteria regulation and EU recommendations for setting a shelf-life.
The guidance has been extended beyond chilled foods to include ambient stored foods such as sauces, pickles, jam and drinks. It will, says Campden, help food and drink manufacturers establish accurate shelf-lives for their food products, ensuring they maintain key sensory, chemical and microbiological characteristics at the time they’re consumed.

Microbiologist and author of the new guidelines Linda Everis said: “The new guidance has been prepared by food manufacturers, retailers and regulatory bodies, in conjunction with Campden BRI scientists, to provide a single source of information on shelf-life testing. It also rationalises the many storage times and temperatures currently used in the chilled foods industry into one document. This will save manufacturers time that would have otherwise been spent searching for the most current guidance.
“Our guidance covers the ins and outs of shelf-life from the associated definitions to the influencing factors such as heat processing, hygiene and packaging. The document’s primary focus is to help food business operators evaluate shelf-life. It begins this process with a flow chart which allows them to visualise the entire shelf-life evaluation sequence from the kitchen pilot scale stage through to the factory trials and product production stages, which is handy for planning how long a product’s evaluation process will take. Each part of this sequence is explained in detail with the food manufacturer in mind to ensure they can follow it step-by-step and therefore successfully bring their product to market with an accurate shelf-life.”
The new guidance document will help food business operators overcome the usual challenges associated with setting a shelf-life. It reveals new research about the temperature of consumers’ fridges to provide food manufacturers with an understanding of the conditions that food is kept in, once it is in consumer's hands.
Everis continued: “Consumers generally think of shelf-life as the ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ dates but, for industry, setting dates is much more complex, with considerations for processing, packaging, storage, distribution and handling by consumers. Once a product is in the consumer’s hands, there is a loss of control over how it is handled – particularly in terms of temperature exposure. The UK Food Standards Agency recommend consumers’ fridges to be below 5°C. We conducted a study that found 53% of consumer fridges were over this temperature and 16% were over 8°C, the legal maximum that chilled foods can be stored at in the UK. This is a concern considering the general assumption that food will be kept under 5°C when with the consumer. These findings will have an impact on what food manufacturers currently consider when evaluating a shelf-life.”
Related news

USDA expands its definition of nitrates
15 Jan 2021
The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will expand the definition of nitrates in May 2021 to prohibit products using any source of nitrates from using the statements “No Nitrate or Nitrite Added” and “Uncured....
Read more
Belgium is officially declared free from African Swine Fever
14 Jan 2021
Belgium officially earned a new status from the World Organization of Animal Health confirming the country is free from African Swine Fever (ASF). This updated status is the first time since September 2018 that the country has officially been declared ...
Read more
Pepsi debuts its own “Cocoa” Cola flavor
13 Jan 2021
PepsiCo is fanning the fires of the cola wars with the release of its new Pepsi “Cocoa” Cola flavor. The new soda reportedly has a taste that blends the classic Pepsi soft drink with flavors of hot cocoa and marshmallow.
Read more
DuPont says plant-based demand to surge 200% in Asia
12 Jan 2021
A new study from DuPont and IPSOS revealed that the consumption of plant-based meat substitutes in key Asia Pacific markets is poised to soar 200% over the next five years as consumer choice continues to be driven by health, taste and sustainability.
Read more
Chickpeas poised to be top ingredient for 2021
11 Jan 2021
Plant-based foods are continuing to top the list of trends in the food and beverage space with chickpeas, global flavors, meat alternatives, non-allergen foods and organic products set to be top priorities for consumers in 2021, according to EHL Ingred...
Read more
UK to continue exporting agricultural products to EU
8 Jan 2021
Despite the UK officially leaving the European Union, the island nation will still be able to continue exporting meat fish and dairy to the continent. Late last month, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) granted the UK Third ...
Read more
Gotham Greens expands its local greenhouses with $87M in funding
7 Jan 2021
Indoor greenhouse company Gotham Greens raised $87 million in a Series D round led by Manna Tree, bringing its total funding to $130 million while also doubling its revenue in the past year. Retail volume growth has jumped 80% year over year for the co...
Read more
Frozen food remains a hot commodity as pandemic endures
6 Jan 2021
Frozen food sales continue to outpace the growth of all food items in the grocery store, according to data from IRI and the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA). Total sales of frozen products rose 17.4% from November 2019 to November 20...
Read more
Coca-Cola cuts 2,200 jobs and restructures
5 Jan 2021
The saying, new year, new you has a whole new meaning for the soda corporation Coca-Cola that is reducing its workforce by 2,200 people in an effort to restructure and respond to ripple effects from the pandemic. Layoffs and buyouts in the U.S. will co...
Read more
Singapore becomes first country to approve lab-grown meat
4 Jan 2021
The Singapore Food Agency, the city state’s regulatory body for food, approved San Francisco startup Eat Just’s cell-based meat chicken product, paving the way for its sale in the country.
Read moreAre you a supplier?
Here's what we can do for you
- Generate quality leads for your business
- Stay visible for 365 days of the year
- Receive product inquiries and respond to meeting requests directly
- Improve company online presence through Search Engine Optimisation