Home Recipes |  Recipe Conversion  | Durable (Shelf) Life  l  Sample Testing  
|   Preparing a Survey  |  Record Keeping   |    Resources

Durable Life (Shelf Life)

Durable life is the period, starting on the day that a product is packaged for retail sale, during which the product, when stored under appropriate conditions, will retain, without any appreciable deterioration, its normal wholesomeness, palatability, nutritional value, and any other qualities claimed for it by the manufacturer.

Factors that affect shelf life include:

• original quality of the product
• harshness of processing method
• effectiveness of barrier and physical protection of the packaging
• appropriate storage conditions

You determine shelf life primarily through laboratory testing, along with sensory evaluation. An experienced food microbiologist can help you assess the shelf-life of your product.