1. Shelf-Life of Pre-packaged Food Products An Industry Perspective
Dr. Ahmet Anbarci
Scientific & Regulatory Affairs
Kraft Foods CEEMA Region
Dubai International Food Safety Conference
24-26 February, 2009

2. Agenda Kraft Foods in short Shelf-life – Definition, Dimensions
Shelf-life  Kraft Foods RD&Q functions
Establishing and Managing Shelf-life
Testing, Principles, Parameters
Selected Aspects, Examples
Discussion

3. Kraft Foods Overview, 2008

4. Kraft Foods Overview, 2008
Worldwide headquarters in Northfield, Illinois, U.S.
Sales in more than 155 Countries
Operations in 70 Countries
With approximately 100,000 employees, more than 180 manufacturing and processing facilities
11 global or geographic Research and Development Centers around the world

5. One of Best Brand Portfolios in Food & Beverage Industry
9 Brands over $1 billion annual revenue
50+ Brands over $100 million
40+ Brands over 100 years old
Kraft markets many of the world’s leading food brands.
Our products are present in more than 99% of US households and millions of times a day, in more than 150 countries, consumers reach for their favorite Kraft brands.
Our billion dollar brands include: Kraft, Jacobs, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco and its Oreo brand, Oscar Mayer and Philadelphia.

6. Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa Region
Fast Facts
Region headquarters: Vienna, Austria  
Key markets in the region:
Bulgaria, Egypt, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine and the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as other Middle East & Africa Markets
Some key region brands:
Kraft cheeses; Tang powdered beverages; Alpen Gold, Karuna, Korona and Milka chocolates; Estrella and Cipso salted snacks; Rasco biscuits; Carte Noire, Jacobs, Maxwell House and Nova Brasilia coffees.

7. Kraft Foods in GCC Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
Production Facility – Biscuits
Employees: 138 (23% Saudi)
Brands: Oreo, Ritz and Belvita
Kraft Foods in GCC
Kingdom of Bahrain:
Production Facility - (Tang and Cheese)
Employees: 287 (17% Bahraini)
Brands: Tang, Kraft Cheese
United Arab Emirates:
MEA Regional Office
Employees: 130
Lead Brands Marketed in GCC: 2

8. Shelf-life, definition, dimensions
Shelf-Life is the time between manufacture and possible latest consumption, wherein the characteristics of a food product are considered to remain acceptable with following dimensions and aspects:
products must be safe - self-speaking, un-debated, un-compromised; HACCP
quality must remain acceptable - consumer accepted quality; vital to gain consumers and maintain their loyalty
nutritional value needs to be maintained - prime aspect for food; maintain claims on products
commercial stability to be assured - package integrity, look; key for customers and at point of sale

9. Packaged food over shelf-life

10. Shelf-life  Food Research, Development & Quality (Kraft Foods RD&Q)
Kraft Foods RD&Q is the owner of shelf-life and has the responsibility, expertise and the infrastructure for establishing products’ shelf-life.
Category
Expertise
Geographic
Proximity
Functional
Excellence + +
Coffee
Refreshment Beverages
Grocery
Biscuits and Cakes
Confectionery
Savory Snacks
Cheese/Dairy
Convenient Meals
Banbury, UK
Tarrytown, NY
East Hanover, NJ
Munich, Germany
Glenview, IL
Madison, WI
Battle Creek, MI
Melbourne, Australia
Curitiba, Brazil
Quality and Safety
Scientific Affairs
Regulatory
Nutrition
Research
Chemistry
Microbiology
Sensory / Consumer Insight
Packaging
Intellectual Property/ Patents

11. Our RD&Q centre in Munich has the geographic responsibility for West, Central, East Europe, Middle East and Africa
Global
Glenview, IL
East Hanover, NJ
Tarrytown, NY
Banbury, UK
Munich, Germany
Geographic / Local
Madison, Battle Creek, Melbourne, Curitiba and 50 other smaller centers
Functions in Munich
Product Dev
Process Dev
Packaging
Microbiology & Food Safety
Quality
Chemistry
Sensory
Regulatory
Scientific Affairs
Nutrition
Munich – Geographic Scope
West, Central, East Europe, Middle East and Africa
Munich – Product Role
Cheese/Dairy, Convenient Meals, Refreshment Beverages, Grocery, Chocolate Confectionery, Savory Snacks, (Quality & Safety for Coffee)

12. Same principles around the Globe
Kraft Product Safety & Quality Assurance Guiding Principles
Product Safety/Public Health is our uncompromised priority.
Food Safety is pre competitive.
Food Safety is based on sound science and correct risk assessment.
HACCP and our ISO based QCMS (Quality Chain Management System) are central to our business process.
Kraft applies common Food Safety & Quality Standards globally.
In addition we believe in:
a systems and process driven approach
a strong upstream focus with major supplier collaboration
covering each and every component in the business Value Chain.

13. Quality Chain Management System
Shelf-life evaluation and management is an essential part of successful food quality management. Ideally, shelf-life is an integral part of an overall Quality Management System through the entire value chain.
Kraft Foods worldwide approach to the systematic management of product Safety and Quality is called the Quality Chain Management System (QCMS).
QCMS is a complete embodiment of the ISO 9001 quality system model enhanced to include the product Safety and Quality requirements of Kraft Foods worldwide food businesses.
QCMS defines the requirements throughout the process of design, procurement, manufacture, distribution and customer/consumer product usage and relations.
Kraft Foods’ procedure on “shelf-life evaluation” is a fundamental part of QCMS and has to be applied by all relevant employees around the world.
Objective: “All Kraft Food businesses shall have a process in place for establishing and managing the shelf-life of all products.” Scope: “Shelf-life evaluation applies globally to all KF businesses and categories. Key elements are parameters, procedures, storage conditions, shelf-life management and modification of shelf-life.”

14. Food Value Chain

15. Shelf-life, definition, dimensions
Shelf-Life is the time between manufacture and possible latest consumption, wherein the characteristics of a food product are considered to remain acceptable with following dimensions and aspects:
products must be safe - self-speaking, un-debated, un-compromised; HACCP
quality must remain acceptable - consumer defined quality; vital to gain consumers and maintain their loyalty
nutritional value needs to be maintained - prime aspect for food; maintain claims on products
commercial stability to be assured - package integrity, look; key for customers and at point of sale

16. RD&Q functions involved
RD&Q is responsible for the “design” and establishing shelf-life; Category Product Development Groups lead, relevant RD&Q functions as listed below support the process. Other parties along value chain consulted as required, e.g. Manufacturing.
products must be safe - Quality /Safety - Chemistry - Microbiology - Toxicology - Packaging
nutritional value to be maintained - Scientific Affairs - Regulatory - Nutrition - Chemistry - Packaging
quality must remain acceptable - Quality /Safety - Regulatory - Chemistry - Microbiology - Sensory / Consumer Insight - Packaging
commercial stability to be assured - Quality /Safety - Regulatory - Packaging

17. Testing
Shelf-life testing is a vital part of new product development. Existing products are re-evaluated, if an extension of shelf-life is targeted or any changes are considered. Re-evaluation may also be triggered by consumer complaints or quality issues.
Close to reality conditions pursued - Full shelf-life testing and beyond - Representative samples - Representative storage conditions - Consumer relevant sensory testing - Consumer research, if required
Testing protocols - Sampling - Testing conditions - Testing period - Schedule, intervals - Attributes, parameters - Methods - Record keeping

18. Testing – parameters, questions to be considered
Product Safety and Robustness are uncompromised and checked and verified for the intended use and foreseeable misuse of products.
risk of pathogens ?
risk of toxins ?
allergens ?
Shelf-Life beyond safety: Many parameters and a high number of possible combinations for industrially packaged food lead to a wide range of possible shelf-life’s.
product category, type, nature ?
micro-stability, risk of spoilage ?
chemical reactions ?
physical changes ?
organoleptic, sensory, consumer ?
packaging integrity and protection ?
transport and storage conditions ?
consumer behaviour, usage ?

19. Shelf-life – Regulated limits?
Considering the complexity inherent to shelf-life, i.e. many parameters, their interaction, possible combinations (vs. the time we have in this forum), only some selected aspects/examples will follow.

20. Aspects/Examples: Basics for micro risks
STATIONARY
LOG
DEATH
LAG
Microbiological Growth
Time of LAG phase determines maximum shelf life possible.
LAG phase can vary depending on other parameters and can be extended by improved sanitation, processing, storage conditions, preservatives, modified atmosphere or some emerging technology.

21. Aspects/Examples: Consumer Relevant Shelf-life Testing
Key elements:
Representative Sampling - Final testing with plant products only (pilot products only for pre-assessment) - Freezing samples (= freezing the time) - If products cannot be frozen, multiple lots testing (assess impact of lots’ variability)
Representative Storage Conditions - All along the Value Chain (transport, warehouses, consumer households) - Close to reality simulation (consider varying conditions, best / worst case scenarios)
Test plan/methods relevant to product, market, potential consumers alienation - Internal sensory testing (people without project involvement, descriptive) - Quantitative descriptive analysis (trained panel) - Consumer acceptance testing (consumer liking, judgemental)

22. Shelf-life of food products
Internal Sensory Testing
At least three of the same participants at each tasting, involving people without project background.
Focus should be descriptive, not judgement. After documenting the descriptive differences, judgement about the expected seriosity of deviations may be necessary.
Representative control product needs to be used as a reference.
Project leaders organize the taste sessions, sample storage and ensure right participants at each session. Consumer Sensory group provides the test procedure and analysis forms.
Project leaders own next steps as agreed by team

23. Shelf-life of food products
Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA)
A tool to test in an objective manner, whether sensory changes are perceivable.
Generally recommended, when significant changes are expected / predicted over shelf-life.
In case of changes that are not necessarily negative: Perceivability and relevance of changes need to be tested with consumers, to determine effects on consumer acceptability.
Key acceptance drivers are known from earlier consumer tests can be used to judge the differences observed in QDA and the shelf life.

24. Shelf-life, Consumer testing
Consumer Acceptance Testing
For key products, and for critical cases, consumer acceptance testing is recommended.
Multiproduct Central Location Test of samples at different stages in shelf life, before, at, and after end of shelf life at stake.
Absolute safety of samples to be ensured via thorough micro testing.
Test should be run with target consumers in the target countries. Participants need to be unaware of the test background.

25. Aspects/Examples: Cheese and many parameters
Same category, different types, processing, storage conditions, packaging, ……
=> Shelf-life’s in a range of few to 18 months.
12 months
18 months

26. Aspects/Examples: Packaging materials
Substrate
OTR
(cc/m2/24hrs)
WVTR
(g/m2/24hrs)
Light Barrier
Strength
Foil
100%
Low
Aluminum laminate
<1
Medium
Polyester (PET) 90 40
<5%
Metallised PET (met-PET)
0.5
>95%
PVdC coated PET 6 14
Biaxially Oriented Polyprop.
1900
PVdC Coated BOPP 10 5
Metallised BOPP (met-BOPP)
100
1.5
Biaxially Oriented Nylon (OPA) 45
260
PVdC Coated OPA 7
Glass Jar
High
PP Rigid
<1-200
<1-100
Tetrapak/Combibloc
3 Piece Metal Can

27. Aspects/Examples: Packaging with the right protection
High protection and other factors help to achieve a long shelf-life:
Metal can
Glass Jar
Composite can
PET container
Aluminium laminate
Metalised laminate
Plastic container
C o s t s
Processed Cheese in a glass jar with a proven shelf-life of 12 months.

28. Shelf-life: Regulated limits?
Considering the complexity of shelf-life, limits set for shelf-life of packaged foods would either be overcomplicated (wide array, needs regular updating) or a weak compromise, most likely at category minimum. Risks and disadvantages for all appear to outweigh any advantages.
Consumers and all stakeholders along the value chain benefit from safe and high-quality products with tested and proven shelf-life. While the added safety, quality and value through regulated shelf-life limits is open to discussion, some risks and disadvantages are certain for industrial, packaged food:
Avoidable costs, economic penalty, if the limits set are too conservative, , i.e. at the category minimum (lowest common denominator)
Risk of low quality products to consumers, if the limits set are too broad
Risk of missing new aspects, development or scientific progress
Low incentive, low motivation for industry to innovate or apply the “new”

29. Shelf-life: Regulated limits?
Conclusions:
The food industry should perform due-diligence to judge, test and establish the shelf-life for each single product they manufacture, regardless how strict or wide the limits set by regulations may be.
Food companies in general have to have their products’ data and expertise and to know about the nature, details and limits of their products.
Shelf-life limits set for packaged food are open to abuse and do not appear to add value, safety or quality of especially packaged food.
Shelf-life limits may be an unnecessary hurdle, especially for long tested products with a good record in country of origin or in other markets.

30. Shelf-life of food products
Thank you!