Agency welcomes shelf-life guidance for chilled foods
Thursday 25 March 2010
The Agency has welcomed the publication of new guidance to help food businesses determine the shelf life of ready-to-eat foods by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the Chilled Food Association (CFA), working in collaboration with the Food Standards Agency.
The guidance is designed to help businesses, from small food outlets to major food manufacturers, calculate a safe shelf life for how long particular foods can be kept before being eaten. It is also designed to help firms meet European Union hygiene rules that set limits on bacteria in food, such as Listeria monocytogenes, which is the focus of the guidance.
Complex issues are explained simply for staff at all levels of expertise. Real life examples are also provided to show how the advice should be put into practice.
The BRC chaired a coalition of organisations that developed the guidance, including the CFA, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, LACORS, and the Food Standards Agency. The UK National Reference Laboratory Services for Food Microbiology (Health Protection Agency) participated as an observer.
Liz Redmond, Head of the Food Standards Agency Hygiene and Microbiology Division, said: 'People need confidence in the safety of the food they buy; this guidance adds to the good work already being done by the food industry, CIEH and the FSA to achieve this. I hope businesses and enforcement officers will find this a useful addition to the range of food safety information available to them.'
The science behind the story
Listeria monocytogenes is an important cause of food poisoning. The number of reported cases of listeria has increased over recent years, particularly in people aged over 60. L. monocytogenes is frequently present in the environment and can be found in raw foods such as fresh meat, raw milk and fish. It is able to survive and grow at refrigeration temperatures and is a particular concern in relation to chilled ready-to-eat foods that will not be cooked before consumption. Food business operators must therefore take action to control contamination from L. monocytogenes and set a safe shelf-life that takes account of the potential for it to grow in the food during storage and use.
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