The most widely accepted definition of shelf life is a finite length, after manufacturing and packaging, during which the food product retains a required level of quality acceptable for consumption.
There are several main factors that influence shelf life and can be divided in two types namely: intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors.
Intrinsic factors are the properties of the final product. They include:
*Raw material
*Water activity
*pH value and acidity
*Redox potential
*Temperature for food
*Available oxygen
*Nutrients
*Physical stress
*Composition of food product
*Product formulation
*Food structure
*Natural microflora and surviving microbiological counts
*Natural biochemistry of the product
*Preservative of the product
While extrinsic factors include:
*Processing
*Raw material preparation
*Relative humidity
*Pressure
*Packaging
*Storage condition and display
*Distribution
*Consumer handling
The shelf life of a food can be altered by changing its composition and formulation, processing parameters, packaging system or environment to which it is exposed.
Factors influencing the shelf life of food
