This section includes a decision tree that food business operators should use to determine if vacuum packed and modified atmosphere packed products stored above 3ºC can safely have a shelf-life greater than ten days. A table, giving equivalent time/temperature combinations for spores of non-proteolyric Clostridium botulinum, is also available.
Table: Equivalent time/temperature combinations for spores of non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum
Temperature (ºC) |
Time (minutes) |
80 |
129.0 |
81 |
100.0 |
82 |
77.0 |
83 |
60.0 |
84 |
46.0 |
85 |
36.0 |
86 |
28.0 |
87 |
22.0 |
88 |
17.0 |
89 |
13.0 |
90 |
10.0 |
91 |
7.9 |
92 |
6.3 |
93 |
5.0 |
94 |
4.0 |
95 |
3.2 |
96 |
2.5 |
97 |
2.0 |
98 |
1.6 |
99 |
1.3 |
100 |
1.0 |
Data from:
Chilled Food Association: Best Practice Guidelines for the Production of Chilled Foods (4th edition, 2006). Published by The Stationery Office