Insights into shelf-life training course

22nd September 2026 | 09:15 - 17:00 | 17:30 with assessment

This one-day online training course will provide an overview of the ways in which shelf-life of products can be set for a wide range of food categories. We will consider both food safety and quality / spoilage issues affecting shelf-life, and the microbiological, chemical and physical aspects of shelf-life limits.

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Course overview

We will explore relevant UK Food Law and regulatory guidance provided to the food industry on food date labelling, with an emphasis on ensuring safe and legal food while being mindful of food waste and economics.

We will cover what is involved in various types of shelf-life testing, practices in sensory assessment, the pros and cons of techniques such as challenge testing and microbiological modelling, and how changes in product formulation and packaging can impact product shelf-life.

The course is designed for food industry professionals and others who want to know more about setting of shelf-life and durability labelling of foods in the UK, or for those who want to refresh their knowledge.

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What is it about?

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  • Shelf-life definitions
  • UK food law and guidance on application of minimum durability labelling
  • ‘Use-By’ and ‘Best-Before’ examples
  • Quality and Food Safety considerations
  • Shelf-life perceptions, and relationship to food waste
  • Products which have changed from ‘Use-By’ to ‘Best-Before’ labels
  • Factors that limit shelf-life
  • Chilled, frozen, and ambient foods
  • Analyses for shelf-life determination
  • Microbiological changes over product life
  • Chemical and physical changes over product life
  • Accelerated shelf-life testing
  • Sensory analysis
  • Challenge testing
  • Microbiological modelling
  • Long shelf-life products
  • The legal criteria for Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-To-Eat foods
  • Clostridium botulinum and the ‘10-day rule’ for vac-pack and MAP chilled foods
  • Good practices for determining shelf-life
  • Approaches for shelf-life extension
  • How changes to product formulation can impact shelf-life
  • How packaging changes can impact shelf-life
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Who should attend?

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  • Technical Managers
  • Quality Managers
  • Technical and Quality Team Members
  • New Product Development professionals
  • Auditors and others looking to refresh their knowledge
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Key benefits

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  • Setting correct shelf-life; understanding how to set safe and realistic shelf-life for a wide range of foods
  • Gain awareness of different types of shelf-life testing
  • Insights into how product quality can change over shelf-life
  • Learn from real-life examples of shelf-life extension projects
  • Reduce food waste while maintaining food safety
  • There will be opportunities to ask our expert questions
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Previous knowledge needed

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  • Experience of food manufacturing and a basic understanding of food microbiology.
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Your trainers

Ali Aitchison | Senior Food Safety Consultant | Eurofins Food Testing UK Ltd.

How to book

When upcoming dates are available, this course can be booked with or without assessment via Eurofins Food Assurance UK’s booking page links below.

If no dates are currently listed, the course may be available on request (subject to minimum numbers).

22nd September 2026 | 09:15 - 17:00 | 17:30 with assessment

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If a listed date has passed, the course may still be available on request (subject to minimum numbers).
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