What is shelf life and why does it matter?
Sciantec
Agriculture
Anyone who produces feed for any kind of animal, such as horses, pets, or livestock, generally must put a shelf life date on their packaging. Shelf life is the length of time for which a feed product is suitable for animal consumption. This promise gives consumers peace of mind that the feed they are buying will not negatively affect their animals before the specified date.
Safety and quality: the building blocks to determining shelf life
Shelf life dates are concerned with both the safety and quality of a product over time. Feed safety indicates the likelihood of the product going off, which could prevent the animal from thriving, or even potentially make them ill. Microbiology analysis is used to determine the growth of unwanted bacteria, moulds, or yeasts over time in specified conditions, including Salmonella and E. coli. This is therefore the most important part of determining shelf life—these bacteria can result in symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fever, and diarrhoea.
Quality, on the other hand, is measured by the degradation of nutritional products in the feed. Not only will this affect the amount of feed needed for optimal productivity and yield, increasing costs and reducing profitability, but it can also influence the physical appearance of the feed. For example, if hard feed such as pellets absorb moisture over time, they can become soft or crumbly. It can also lead to unpleasant tastes or odours, resulting in the animals eating less.
What influences shelf life
The factors involved in the deterioration of the safety and quality of feed products can be divided into two groups: product composition, which involves the nature of the feed itself; and external factors, which are the conditions that affect the feed once it has been made.
| Product composition | External factors |
| Raw materials | Temperature |
| Composition & formulation of the product | Humidity |
| Moisture content | Nature of packaging |
| Total acidity & pH value | Export destination |
| Microbiology | Transportation conditions |
| Fat content | Sunlight exposure |
Product composition should be considered so that the manufacturer can maximise the life of a product. For example, if the moisture content of dry pet food is too high, microorganisms will increase in activity, making bacterial infection and spoilage more likely. External factors must also be considered depending on storage conditions and where the feed is going to be sold—selling feed in a hot, humid country such as Thailand may be far different to selling it in the UK.
Keep an eye out for part 2 of this series where I will talk about the influence of packaging on shelf life, coming soon!
Our shelf life package includes a 1-1 consultation and bespoke design to suit your analysis parameters for full visibility throughout the study. We also provide a Certificate of Analysis at every time point with optional photographic records, and a comprehensive final report.
For more information on our services, please visit our website or email customer.services@sciantec.uk.com.
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