Wareing told FoodProductionDaily foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes have a definite impact on shelf life.
“There is a legal requirement to have no more than 100 colony forming units of Listeria monocytogenes by the end of a product shelf life,” he said.
“So in products where it can grow it must be less than a certain amount, which can determine how long a product is kept safely within the fridge.”
Wareing added some of the speech will look at topics such as Campylobacter in turkey and chicken.
“Although this does not grow in chilled food, it has a definite effect on food safety, so it is not something you want there,” he added.
“We will look at potential control measures for the pathogen.”
Clean label
The talk will also look at clean labeling and its effect on shelf life.
“From a food spoilage and food safety point of view, taking out preservatives and salt is not always the best thing to do,” said Wareing.
“Salt is bad for issues such as hypertension, but it does have benefits in terms of food safety and preservation, and also for the functional properties of food.”
According to Wareing, continued trends include natural ingredients and natural flavours.
“It is a great trend, but if it is natural it can bring in unknown contaminants. So manufacturers have to be careful,” he added.
“Similarly with global sourcing, manufacturers need to look at their threat assessment, for potential problems.
“There was an issue a couple of years ago in Europe with alfalfa sprouts. The seeds came from Egypt and contained unusual strains of E.coli.
“This is an issue that can be overcome in the industry partly by surveillance, partly by understanding what the risks are.”
Modified atmosphere packaging
Wareing added the food and beverage industry should be aware of modified atmosphere packaging, a technique that has been used for some time for prolonging the shelf life of fresh or minimally processed foods.
“This has gone into more and more areas of the food industry and is something to be careful about,” he said.
“That type of food has to be carefully refrigerated because often you are selecting away from one set of organisms to another.
“Listeria, for example, is quite happy to grow under a modified C02/nitrogen atmosphere in the fridge.
“It’s all a case of understanding what the shelf life of a product is and what you can or can’t do.”
HFC refrigerants
In 2013, Nestle announced plans to phase out its HFC (hydrofluorocarbons) refrigerants by 2016 and replace them with non-HFC refrigerants (natural refrigerant alternatives) in Europe.
“I suspect this will grow. The recent election shows the environment is a big issue in which we are interested politically,” he added.
“Green is seen as good; that will increase in the same way that preservatives will continue to be removed.
“That will be the challenge for industry, to find a way around these issues.”
The Refrigerated Food Safety Forum will take place at Thistle, Marble Arch, London from September 30-October 1. Guests can book tickets online using the code LFRMEM15 for a discount.