Food Packaging & Shelf Life Flashcards
7 cards from real CFS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Food Packaging & Shelf Life flashcards as text
What is the primary function of oxygen scavengers incorporated into food packaging?
Answer: To remove residual oxygen and prevent oxidative spoilage
Oxygen scavengers chemically react with residual oxygen in the package headspace to reduce it to near-zero levels, preventing oxidative rancidity, color changes, and microbial growth.
What does the Q10 value represent in accelerated shelf life testing?
Answer: The ratio of reaction rates for a 10°C temperature increase
The Q10 value is the ratio of reaction rates when temperature increases by 10°C, allowing food scientists to extrapolate shelf life predictions across different storage temperatures.
Retort packaging, such as flexible stand-up pouches, is specifically designed to withstand:
Answer: High pressure and high temperature sterilization conditions
Retort packaging is engineered to withstand the high pressure and high temperature conditions (typically 250°F/121°C) of retort sterilization, producing commercially sterile shelf-stable products.
Which gas is most commonly used in high-oxygen MAP to maintain the bright red color of fresh red meat?
Answer: Oxygen
High levels of oxygen (typically 60–80%) are used in MAP for fresh red meat to promote myoglobin oxygenation, forming oxymyoglobin, which produces the desirable bright red color.
Migration of substances from food-contact packaging materials into food is regulated in the United States primarily under:
Answer: FDA regulations under 21 CFR
The FDA regulates food-contact materials and substance migration into food under 21 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations), including indirect food additive regulations.
What is the primary purpose of accelerated shelf life testing (ASLT)?
Answer: To predict shelf life by storing products under elevated stress conditions
ASLT subjects products to elevated temperatures or other stress conditions to accelerate deterioration reactions, enabling shelf life predictions in a fraction of the real time required.
Which packaging material property is most critical to evaluate when selecting packaging for a high-fat snack food prone to rancidity?
Answer: Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR)
For high-fat foods prone to oxidative rancidity, the Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) of packaging is the most critical property to minimize oxygen ingress and extend shelf life.