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Analysis of Food Shelf Life

Course developers

Prior knowledge

Ķīmi5006, Chemistry of Natural Compounds

PārZ5021, Food Legislation

PārZ5036, Food Design

PārZ6001, Application of Food Additives

Course abstract

The aim of the study course “Analysis of Food Shelf-Life” is to provide in-depth knowledge about the influence of various factors on food spoilage processes, determination of shelf life, its calculation and prediction. The course analyses the main types of food spoilage and methods for their identification, including analysis and interpretation of the results obtained. Special attention is paid to the management of food spoilage processes in various food industries, examining the associated risks, microbial safety, management, product development and sales, as well as consumer needs. The course also covers the latest and most innovative methods for controlling food spoilage processes (microbiological, chemical and physical), as well as for accurate prediction of shelf life, ensuring a modern approach to preserving food quality and safety.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

After the study course, students will have:
In-depth knowledge and understanding of the processes that occur in food products during storage, determining the shelf-life of food and the possibilities of extending it (seminars, independent work, test);
Skills to describe the types and factors of spoilage of a specific food product (internal and external), varying with storage conditions, product recipe, technology, as well as to develop a schedule for determining the shelf life of a specific product; to make a shelf-life forecast using modelling programs and mathematical calculations (practical work, independent work);

Competence to use theoretical knowledge and acquired skills to determine the shelf life of a specific food product, defining the main indicators that should be controlled in the product, determining the frequency of control, if necessary, as an alternative, using an accelerated shelf-life determination method; offering possible solutions for extending the shelf life, as well as to perform a theoretical calculation of the shelf life (practical work, independent work).

Course Content(Calendar)

1. Legislation in force in the EU and Latvia, which regulates the shelf life, quality, labelling rules, health claims, their analysis and critical evaluation, analysis of labelling found on the market, good and bad examples. Food safety criteria, the need and importance of their determination. Allergens, the need and importance of their indication. Shelf life: minimum and final, the mechanism of their determination and the main differences. The main factors that affect the quality of food products. The concept, regulation and importance of moisture content, water activity, pH, oxidation-reduction potential in ensuring the shelf life of products. (L. 3h)
2. Practical work (P.W. 4h). Legislative analysis, tasks on nutritional value calculation. Task on nutritional value claims, calculations. Seminar on the results obtained.
3. Practical work (P.W. 4h). Group work on internal factors affecting the quality of a food product on the example of specific products. Group work on external factors affecting the quality of a food product on the example of specific products. Seminar on the findings obtained.
4. Types of spoilage of various food products, determinable quality parameters and characteristics of shelf life. Reactions that occur in food products during storage. Determination of the shelf-life of food products. Method for determining the accelerated shelf life of food products. Basic principles of shelf-life modelling and shelf-life prediction. Possibilities of using various modelling programs for determining the shelf-life of food products. Use of various calculations for validating spoilage processes. (L. 3h)
5. Calculation of the Q10 coefficient, creation of the Arrhenius equation and assessment of its suitability, calculation of reaction rate constants. Application of zero-order, first-order equations for shelf-life prediction. (P.W. 4h)
6. Use of various modelling programs for determining the shelf life of food products. Use of various calculations for validating spoilage processes, calculation of D, Z, TDT and F values. (P.W. 4h)

7. Test. Presentation of the results of the developed independent work, argumentative discussion about the problem situation and possible solutions. (W.2h)

Requirements for awarding credit points

Test without mark.
In order to take the test, the student must:
• to participate in practical work (100%), workshops (100%) and lectures (70%);
• to write (the grade must be at least “good”) a test paper (includes both test and open questions);

• to develop and publicly defend an independent work (the grade must be at least “good”).

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

The student must prepare and publicly defend a presentation on the analysis of the shelf life of the assigned food product in accordance with the requirements. The presentation must include:
1) taking into account the raw materials used for the development of the product and possible technology, describe the possible types of product deterioration and their causes;
2) describe the factors of product deterioration;
3) provide information on the quality indicators to be determined for determining the shelf life, as well as describe the advantages and disadvantages of the methods used;
4) define the periodicity of determining quality parameters;
5) using the provided data, analyse changes in product quality when storing it under traditional conditions and using the ASLT method;
6) using the Arrhenius equation, model the deterioration of the food product.

7) using one of the kinetic models, describe the rate of chemical or microbiological changes in the product, allowing to predict the duration of the storage time.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

The grade “Passed” can be obtained if a test paper has been written and an independent work has been developed and publicly defended, obtaining at least the following grades:
• the test paper grade is at least “good”;

• the independent work grade is at least “good”.

Compulsory reading

1. Nicoli, M.C. (Ed.). (2012). Shelf Life Assessment of Food (1st ed.). CRC Press. https://doi-org.ezproxy.llu.lv/10.1201/b11871
2. Dar, B.N., Shah, M.A., & Mir, S.A. (Eds.). (2022). Shelf Life and Food Safety (1st ed.). CRC Press. https://doi-org.ezproxy.llu.lv/10.1201/9781003091677

3. Shen, C. Zhang, Y. (2023) Food Microbiology Laboratory for the Food Science Student : a practical approach / Second edition. Cham : Springer International Publishing, [2023] xviii, 160 lpp. ISBN 9783031261961

Further reading

Ćirković Veličković, T., Gavrović-Jankulović, M. (2014) Food allergens: biochemistry and molecular nutrition / New York : Springer, [2014] xiii, 208 lpp. Food microbiology and food safety . ISBN 9781493908400

Periodicals and other sources

www.likumi.lv
https://europa.eu/european-union/eu-law/legal-acts_en
http://pmp.arserrc.gov/PMPOnline.aspx
http://sssp.dtuaqua.dk/Download.aspx

Notes

Limited elective study course for students of the academic master's study program "Food Science" in the 3rd semester