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A risk-based approach was developed to be followed by food business operators (FBO) when deciding on the type of date marking (i.e. 'best before' date or 'use by' date), setting of shelf-life (i.e. time) and the related information on the label to ensure food safety. The decision on the type of date marking needs to be taken on a product-by-product basis, considering the relevant hazards, product characteristics, processing and storage conditions. The hazard identification is food product-specific and should consider pathogenic microorganisms capable of growing in prepacked temperature-controlled foods under reasonably foreseeable conditions. The intrinsic (e.g. pH and a(w)), extrinsic (e.g. temperature and gas atmosphere) and implicit (e.g. interactions with competing background microbiota) factors of the food determine which pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms can grow in the food during storage until consumption. A decision tree was developed to assist FBOs in deciding the type of date marking for a certain food product. When setting the shelf-life, the FBO needs to consider reasonably foreseeable conditions of distribution, storage and use of the food. Key steps of a case-by-case procedure to determine and validate the shelf-life period are: (i) identification of the relevant pathogenic/spoilage microorganism and its initial level, (ii) characterisation of the factors of the food affecting the growth behaviour and (iii) assessment of the growth behaviour of the pathogenic/spoilage microorganism in the food product during storage until consumption. Due to the variability between food products and consumer habits, it was not appropriate to present indicative time limits for food donated or marketed past the 'best before' date. Recommendations were provided relating to training activities and support, using 'reasonably foreseeable conditions' collecting time-temperature data during distribution, retail and domestic storage of foods and developing Appropriate Levels of Protection and/or Food Safety Objectives for food-pathogen combinations. (C) 2020 European Food Safety Authority. EFSA Journal published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of European Food Safety Authority.

Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der mikrobiellen und sensorischen Untersuchung dreier Convenience-Produkte aus Kräuterseitlingen (Pleurotus eryngii) eines ober-österreichischen Lebensmittelunternehmens. Die Anschaffung einer neuen Verpackungsanlage und ein damit neu etabliertes Verpackungssystem (Schutzgas-Gemisch und Tiefziehfolie) erfordert eine erneute Gewährleistung der Qualität der Produkte über eine Lagerungsdauer von 30 Tagen. Überprüft wurden die Proben an drei Untersuchungstagen bei einer Lagerungstemperatur von 7 und 12 °C mithilfe von Lagertests auf verschiedenen Agar-Platten. Die Lagerungsdauer und -temperatur hatten Einfluss auf die Qualität, ebenso Faktoren wie die Produktgruppe, Verpackungstag und Versuchszyklus. Aufschlussreiche Ergebnisse für den Betrieb wurden erzielt und Maßnahmen konnten umgehend umgesetzt werden, um die Qualität weiterhin zu verbessern. This thesis deals with the microbial and sensory examination of three convenience-products, made of King Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus eryngii), by an Upper Austrian food manufactory. Due to a new packaging machine and therefore a new established packaging method, with protective gases and a thermoforming film, the products` quality must be guaranteed once again. A storage period of 30 days and storage temperatures of 7 and 12 °C were examined on different agar plates. The quality of the products was influenced by the storage period and temperature, as well as by multiple factors like product group, packing day and trial cycle. Insightful results were achieved, which lead the processing to immediately take measures to improve the quality further.

International audience; Shopping at the salvage grocery store. A new way to modify household budgetsNowadays, consumers increasingly tend to modify their household budgets and reduce food expenditures. Tomeet the demand for lower prices, new retail business models are becoming increasingly popular. Salvage gro-cery stores that discount products by 30 % or more are increasingly successful. This paper provides an analysisof this new kind of stores. A qualitative study has been conducted in order to identify the motivations as well asthe reluctance of consumers to embrace this model. A typology of shoppers has been established and three groupsare identified: habitual, occasional and expert shoppers.; Le consommateur a de plus en plus tendance à modifier ses arbitrages budgétaires en réduisant ses dépensesalimentaires. Pour répondre à cette demande de prix bas, de nouveaux formats de distribution apparaissent.Parmi ceux-ci, les magasins de déstockage alimentaire connaissent un succès croissant. Ces magasins proposentdes produits en fin de vie avec des réductions de prix de plus de 30%. Une étude qualitative a été réalisée afind’identifier les motivations et les freins des consommateurs fréquentant ce type de magasins. Une typologie desmagasineurs a été établie et trois catégories ont pu être identifiées : les routiniers, les occasionnels et les experts.

The thesis is concerned with a basic fact about the issue of food waste in a global level and in the Czech Republic as well. It Describes the overall problem and distinguishes a terminology of food loss, food waste etc. The practical part analyzes the consumption of food consumers via questionnaire in the region of Tabor. The goal was to determine whether the respondents are knowledgeable in this matter another aim was to find out the frequency of their purchase and consumption of food in their homes or how they liquidate the remaining food. The challenge is also to propose the own solution of this problem, because waste represents a complex economic, environmental, social and ethical problem. The final part deals with its own proposals for solutions and it finds out the need to establish food banks in the region of Tabor.

本研究は, 普通精米と無洗米を用いて貯蔵試験を実施し, 精米の賞味期限を設定することを目的とした。本報では官能評価結果について検討し, 前報の理化学測定結果と合わせて精米の賞味期限を検討した。その結果, 理化学測定に比べて官能試験は敏感に品質劣化を検出することができたことから, 官能試験の総合評価を賞味期限設定のための最重要測定項目とした。精米の賞味期限は普通精米, 無洗米ともに温度25℃で2カ月, 20℃で3カ月, 15℃で5カ月, 5℃で7カ月が適当であると考えた。, Sensory tests were conducted on samples stored at different temperatures for determining shelf life (best before date) of milled rice. The results of sensory tests were considered to be the most appropriate indicator for determining the best before date because quality changes could be detected more sensitively by sensory tests than by physicochemical measurements. The results of sensory tests indicated that the best before dates of milled rice (conventional milled rice and rinse-free rice) stored at 25°C, 20°C, 15°C and 5°C were two months, three months, five months and seven months, respectively.

Purpose:To investigate the possibilities, risks and requirements of a dynamic shelf life service – a technological innovation focusing on minimizing food waste in supply chains (SC).Design/methodology/approach:Semi-structured, open-ended interviews with SC actors have been used to identify the requirements, possibilities and risks with a dynamic shelf life service. Field tests have been conducted to investigate practical implications and effects of small temperature variations on shelf life. The field tests involved sensors based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Findings:The results show that a DSLP service holds great potentials. The field tests revealed that shelf life predictions are sensitive to small temperature differences along the cold chain. Results from the interviews confirm the importance of accuracy. The interviews also emphasize the importance of sharing costs among the involved actors.Research limitations/implications:Key aspects from 11 SC actors concerning dynamic shelf life prediction in cold chains are provided. The field tests involve a SC from production to household.Practical implications:Implementation of a dynamic shelf life service can increase visibility and information flow within SCs. The system can also be integrated with companies’ business systems creating new business opportunities and reducing manual work by automatically alerting quality fluctuations of food products.Original/value:Quantitative and qualitative data from 11 SC actors are provided. This information, together with the experiences reported from the field tests, have the potential to help replacing dysfunctional date labelling systems and reduce food waste.

This paper deals with the shelf life of food in relation to quality and food safety. It is stated that quality and food safety are two separate issues, and seeks to establish the conditions when shelf life becomes a food safety concern.