Testing the Shelf-life of Food Products under Accelerated Temperature

Abstract

A purpose of evaluation the shelf life of food products was indicating the food expiration date on the food label, according to a Notification of the Ministry of Public Health No. 383 B. E. 2560. Besides, it also protected a consumers' right to be safe from goods or services following the Food Act B. E. 2522. Study the shelf life of food products under accelerated conditions (i.e. elevated temperature or humidity) was widely used because of the reliable results. Moreover, the period time for shelf life testing of foods under accelerated condition was less than under normal condition. However, the experimental design, sampling, analysis of changing in quality of the food product samples during storage such as physical quality, chemical quality, sensory quality and microbial safety together with the defining an accelerated temperature and other storage condition should be considered to suitable for food products which significant differed in deterioration characteristics. Generally, the Q<inf>10</inf> equation and/ or kinetic reaction was often used to calculate the shelf life of food products under accelerated temperature conditions.