RE: Best Before Date

From: Branco Papic (bpapic@toralla.cl)
Date: Wed Dec 15 2004 - 13:46:49 PST

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    Thank you Jon:

    Well, answering to your questions:

    Who says 18 mos?

    We copy other experience on similar products.

    What form is the finished product in? Shell on, half shell, meat only,
    chopped?

    We have the first three: whole mussels vacuum packed, half shell, and
    meat.

    Any antioxidants, salt, or other additives?

    No

    How packed (very critical), bagged and/or boxed and/or vacuum packed
    and/or
    glazed?

    Whole mussels is vacuum packed 1 or 2 pound bags; 1 or 0.5 kg bags /14 X
    2 lb; 10 X 1 lb; 5 x 1 kg or 14 X 1 kg boxes.

    Half shell and meat are bulk packed into 1 X 6 kg boxes or 1 x 10 kg
    boxes covered inside with a plastic liner. They are bagged too into 1 kg
    or 0.5 kg bags. Both are glazed (10% fresh water).

    Block frozen or IQF?

    Meat and half shell = IQF

    Anticipated storage temperature?

    -18ºC

    Mussel species and or harvest season might be important.

    Mytilus chilensis, harvest season: from October to August.

    I mean obtaining organoleptical results without waiting 18 month, but
    your answer is logical to store product for this time and then measure
    what happen, and I agree there's to many factors involved.

    Thank you again for your help,

    Branco Papic Ayerdi
    Plant Manager
    Toralla S.A.
    Tel.: 5665-672500
    Cel.: 569-8746519

    -----Mensaje original-----
    De: Jon McGraw [mailto:JonMcGraw@seafreeze.com]
    Enviado el: miércoles, 15 de diciembre de 2004 17:38
    Para: 'Branco Papic'; 'Seafood HACCP Mailing List'
    Asunto: RE: Best Before Date

    Hi Branco,

    We need more information.

    Who says 18 mos?

    What form is the finished product in? Shell on, half shell, meat only,
    chopped?

    Any antioxidants, salt, or other additives?

    How packed (very critical), bagged and/or boxed and/or vacuum packed
    and/or
    glazed?

    Block frozen or IQF?

    Anticipated storage temperature?

    Mussel species and or harvest season might be important.

    Not sure I understand what is meant by obtaining organoleptic results
    without waiting for results.
    Any kind of testing involves procedures and reporting on findings. Are
    you
    looking for estimated organoleptic properties based on time in storage?
    There are so many variables, the only way to for you to truly know is to
    conduct storage studies yourself or by contract. Anything else is
    strictly a
    wild guess
    and basically useless.

    Regards food components, do you mean the effect various components have
    on
    shelf life?
    I am only peripherally familiar with mussels, but as in most seafoods,
    water
    content, fat content, salt percentage would be 3 of the most critical
    and
    have all kinds of effects based on respective amounts.

    Regards,

    Jon McGraw
    Seafreeze
    Seattle, WA

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Branco Papic [mailto:bpapic@toralla.cl]
    Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2004 12:20 PM
    To: 'Pamela Tom'; 'Seafood HACCP Mailing List'
    Subject: Best Before Date

    Hello everyone:

    Does anyone know why the best before date used for cooked and frozen
    product (mussels in our case) is 18 month? How can you test the
    organoleptical changes without waiting for results? How the nutritional
    components can influence on food conservation? Why 18 month and not 12
    or 24?.

    Thank you very much,

    Branco Papic Ayerdi
    Plant Manager
    Toralla S.A.
    Chile
    Southamerica
    Tel.: 5665-672500
    Cel.: 569-8746519

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