Shelf-life Test Chambers and Cold Storage for Food
Within the food manufacturing and wider supply chain, compliance with GxP standards involves the use of temperature-controlled units such as fridges, freezers or cold rooms for product preservation and safety assurance.
During product development, quality control and packaging evaluation, shelf-life test chambers will be deployed. Before our packaged and processed foods including tins, cans, sauces and ready-to-eat meals reach the shelves, each product will undergo stability testing. Through thorough shelf-life assessment and stability storage and testing, we can assess at what point the integrity of a product degrades.
As a fundamental role in food safety, temperature-controlled chambers are heavily intertwined with regulatory compliance and procedure protocols, determining optimal food storage conditions, expiration dates, and packaging requirements. All of these are essential for determining how long a product can last before quality and safe consumption is at risk.
Cold storage for food production
Process manufacturing and storage
Food process manufacturing involves the conversion of raw agricultural materials into food products. Encompassing several production phases, many of which require strict temperature control for the preservation of ingredients, food processing is a manufacturing route for transitioning intermediate products into finished goods.
Refrigerators, freezers, temperature-controlled chambers and cold rooms are employed throughout the entirety of the food manufacturing process, creating ideal environments for product preservation and long-term storage during and after the manufacturing process.
For those raw materials which are not immediately ready to be processed into a complete, uniform food product, a chamber can be used to conduct other forms of preparation processes, typically known as conditioning.
Temperature, humidity and light-exposure conditioning is commonly conducted on goods which have been removed from long-term storage or on products which require stabilising before entering the manufacturing process.
A complete product or a raw material will likely require conditioning at some point. Fruits, herbs and seeds are examples of materials which only require dehydration conditioning before being ready for shelves. In other cases, materials may need humidity conditioning after cold storage to ensure an even distribution of moisture when returned to ambient temperature.
Shelf-life stability testing
Whilst standard cold storage in food manufacturing provides the conventional environmental conditions needed for product preservation, shelf-life test chambers offer strict control over parameters such as temperature and humidity.
Food stability testing and storage involves various regulatory procedures and assessment parameters to outline intended characteristics over an extended period. Features include composition, pH level, moisture content, nutritional quality, and physical and sensory attributes.
The different types of shelf-life stability testing for food products can include:
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Accelerated shelf-life stability testing
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Forced degradation studies
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Microbiological testing
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Chemical analysis
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Packaging integrity testing
Shelf-life test chamber requirements
Embedded in strict QAQC protocols, food stability testing chambers and cold storage solutions are built to adhere to regulatory bodies such as the EMA, FDA and FSA.
In order to adhere to regulatory agency guidelines and exceed environmental expectations, a chamber should offer strict temperature and humidity control, uniform airflow distribution, adequate insulation, accurate parameter monitoring systems, and safety and protection features.
MB3 Technical fulfils the diverse food shelf-life testing and storage requirements through our advanced stability chamber portfolio. Chamber customisation is often a requirement for our food clients to accommodate product sizes within various process manufacturing phases. We offer adjustable shelving, modular configurations and various set temperature and humidity levels.
Supporting your temperature-controlled requirements throughout the manufacturing process and wider cold chain, the MB3 Technical cold storage portfolio includes reach-in chambers, walk-in chambers or cold room builds and installations for your raw materials, intermediate ingredients or finished food product storage.
Expert food stability storage design, build and installation
Choosing a stability testing and storage specialist such as MB3 Technical means that you can reap the benefits of an end-to-end design, build and installation service.
As a turnkey solutions provider, we account for all pre-construction and structural modifications needed prior to installation as well as the build. This includes the curation of a hygienic production area, which involves the installation of hygienic flooring as well as hygienic walls and ceilings made of food-safe insulated panels.
Our project management capabilities mean that a dedicated specialist consultant will oversee the entirety of your project. From site preparation to post-construction, your expert project manager will ensure a smooth and efficient build and installation process.
Our speciality lies in not only engineering customisable parameters but also offering careful chamber design for optimal space efficiency and reduced running costs.
Our team are experts in providing bespoke designs that remain in line with specific requirements and budgetary demands. Helping you achieve maximum capacity at reduced floor space, all within budget.
For a seamless chamber design, build and installation for your shelf-life test chambers for food stability testing and storage, get in touch with MB3 Technical.