Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12393-023-09360-4

Secondary Shelf Life of Foods: State of the Art and Future Perspective
Matteo Alessandro Del Nobile1 · Amalia Conte1

Received: 17 January 2023 / Accepted: 24 October 2023 / Published online: 3 November 2023
© The Author(s) 2023

Abstract
This review aims to approach the secondary shelf life (SSL) issue by providing an overview of the studies currently available
on the subject and suggesting a theoretical framework to model the dependence of the SSL on the residual shelf life (RSL), a
new concept introduced in this study. As it will be discussed later, to date, there are no systemic approaches and no guidelines
to predict the dependence of the SSL on the RSL, even though the SSL is closely related to RSL. The few articles on the
topic available in the literature are limited to assess the SSL of food, and its dependence on packaging systems or storage
conditions after the package opening. The new approach based on the RSL can give a valid tool to industrial and scientific
operators in the food sector for a more appropriate prediction of SSL. The enhanced awareness about a correct SSL predic-
tion might lead to lower food waste generation.

Keywords Secondary shelf life · Residual shelf life · Domestic food waste · Modeling · Sustainability

Introduction becomes no longer acceptable for consumption. For a given

The consumption of a food at consumer level or the use
of raw materials or semi-processed food at industrial level,
after package opening, can be extended over a certain length
of time. Theoretically, the package opening provokes a
rapid modification of the storage conditions because the
food loses the sterility. In addition, some concrete changes
can be observed in terms of atmosphere around the prod-
uct, oxygen, and moisture availability, and in terms of tem-
perature. These modifications also depend on the time the
product remains at room temperature and the time during
which the package remains open. Therefore, when the pack-
age is opened an acceleration of the kinetic decay of food
can occur. Due to these phenomena, in addition to primary
shelf life (PSL), the secondary shelf life (SSL) needs to be
considered.
PSL refers to the time interval between the moment when
the food is packaged and the moment when the packaged
food becomes no longer acceptable, whereas the SSL repre-
sents the time interval between the moment when the pack-
age is opened and the moment when the unpackaged food
* Amalia Conte
amalia.conte@unifg.it
1
Department of Food Science, University of Foggia, Via
Napoli, 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
product, due to the above-mentioned modifications occur-
ring after package opening, the SSL is shorter than the PSL,
and sometimes much shorter.
While the PSL is abundantly discussed, scarce atten-
tion has been still paid to SSL. Currently, the SSL concept
gains importance because it is strictly related to the house-
hold food waste, and to handling of raw materials or semi-
manufactured products, used at industrial level after package
or tank opening. In fact, when you are unable to consume
or transform a product that is no longer packaged within
the times set on the label, both at a domestic and industrial
level, waste is generated. It is also worth noting that waste
is easily generated also because SSL is often underestimated
[1, 2]. Therefore, especially for foods that deteriorate rapidly
after opening, accurately predicting the SSL means avoiding
generating waste.
According to the most recent assessment, approximately
53% of global food waste is generated by households in the
EU [3]. The FUSIONS project (Food Use for Social Innova-
tion by Optimizing Waste Prevention Strategies) reported an
amount of household food waste per capita/per year equal
to 92 kg (FUSIONS, 2016), even though these ratios can be
slightly different depending on the geographical location.
This is true also at industrial level.
Considering that food waste is a critical issue worldwide,
any prevention strategy for a proper food management after

13
Vol:.(1234567890)
Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762
package opening is highly desired [4–7]. In this regard, leg-
islation on expiration dates should be reviewed, not only
from the perspective of product safety and quality, but also
from the environmental and social impact [8]. Unfortunately,
at legislative level, no guidelines or indications concern-
ing how to predict the SSL of foods are available now. EU
Regulation 1169/2011 only defines the concept of minimum
durability of food and, at the most, it brings the concept of
“use by date” for food product highly perishable. These indi-
cations refer to packaged food and therefore give consumers
only information about PSL.
As said before, at research level, SSL is a topic scarcely
studied. A few papers have been found and most of them
are focused on SSL dependence on packaging materials or
storage conditions used after the package opening, without
suggesting protocols or systemic approach for a proper SSL
prediction. To date, the unique review on the topic was pro-
posed by Nicoli and Calligaris [9], who critically discussed
the SSL by giving both consumer and food industry per-
spectives and suggesting a sort of decision tool to be used
after package opening. According to the review of Nicoli
and Calligaris [9], foods can be divided into two catego-
ries, foods without significant differences between PSL and
SSL, and foods that, after opening, can be changed by the
environmental conditions. In the first category, the quality
decay scarcely depends on the package and storage condi-
tions; therefore, the evaluation of SSL coincides with that
of PSL. On the contrary, in the second category, the food
quality is strongly affected by the package and storage condi-
tions; therefore, after opening the food, the loss rate remark-
ably changes. The two above authors assessed that in these
last cases, SSL assessment is needed. In this regard, in the
last part of the review, Nicoli and Calligaris [9] listed the
procedures used to assess the SSL. It is reported that the
deterministic approach is the most common and economic
method to estimate SSL at lab scale, by carrying out shelf
life test under the worst-case scenario. Another possibility
is based on simulation study of home habits, repeating the
container opening and closure. The above two authors finally
discussed about further potential smart technologies to be
adopted to assess the SSL, i.e., the accelerated shelf life
test and the real-time monitoring systems (time–temperature
indicators or RFID systems), tools already consolidated for
determining the PSL.
Considering the relevance of the topic, the first part of
the current work is aimed to give an overview of the stud-
ies reported in the literature, thus underlining the approach
adopted up to now from the researchers to determine the
SSL of foods. Therefore, this first part gives the current state
of the art analyzing the content of 16 available research arti-
cles published between 2001 and 2022. Scopus was used to
map literature information, being a database with a broader
spectrum of publications.
749
The second part of this review has been dedicated to
assessing how the SSL is influenced by the extent of dete-
riorative reactions at the package opening (i.e., the extent
to which the reactions responsible for food quality loss pro-
ceeded when the package is unsealed). Even though this
topic is of crucial importance for the SSL study, a very few
works found in the literature focused on this very important
subject. Specifically, it has been found that only two stud-
ies made a reference to this specific aspect. The first is the
article of Cesa et al. [10], who studied the SSL of infant for-
mula. These authors analyzed samples according to a wide
experimental plan to consider different storage conditions
and different storage time before opening the package, start-
ing from samples analyzed immediately after manufacturing
to a maximum of 12 months of storage before opening the
box, considering infant milk formula with a PSL of about
2 years. The approach used by Cesa et al. [10] proves the
attention of the researchers to assess the dependence of the
SSL on the extent of deteriorative reactions at the package
opening. In an attempt to make the same evaluation, Nicosia
et al. [11] carried out a study dealing with UHT milk. As
will be better discussed later, this is another example from
literature that takes into account the importance of the
moment when the package is opened during the shelf life
period. In fact, these authors carried out two tests, consider-
ing in the first one the containers opened just after its pack-
aging, and another one at the end of the PSL. The reason
of this experimental plan was due to the attention of the
authors to study what happens after package opening and
verify if the moment of the package is opened could affect
the value of SSL. Even though interesting information was
recorded from both these two above papers, none of them
laid the foundations of a systemic approach able to predict
the influence of the storage time before package opening on
the value of SSL. Therefore, due to this lack of information,
the second part of the current review focuses on a possi-
ble theoretical approach to be adopted for the SSL estima-
tion. Considering the relevance to predict the SSL, and that
there is no manuscript in the literature focused on systemic
approach for SSL estimation, the current review aims to fill
this gap, thus providing a mathematical model to describe
the dependence of the SSL on the extent of deteriorative
reactions at the package opening.
The Effect of Post Opening Packaging
on the SSL: Case Studies from Literature
Literature data relevant to SSL studies can be divided in two
main groups, one relative to microbiologically stable foods,
the majority, and another one relative to food suffering from
microbial spoilage after opening. In the first group, coffee,
wine, extra virgin olive oil, powder milk, and croissant were
13
750
considered. In the second group, the case studies relative to
liquid milk, cooked ham, and Pesto alla Genovese will be
presented.
To provide the key for reading this paragraph, few more
definitions are in order: the primary packaging is the packag-
ing system used to package the food, it is able to hold up the
food quality decay kinetic during its storage; the secondary
packaging is the packaging system used right after the pri-
mary packaging is opened, in most cases it simply consists
in the unsealed primary packaging; the primary storage con-
ditions are temperature, light exposure, relative humidity,
etc., under which the food is stored before its opening; the
secondary storage conditions are temperature, light expo-
sure, relative humidity, water activity, etc., under which the
food is stored when unpackaged; a mechanism of deteriora-
tion is a physical phenomenon that contributes to decrease
the packaged food quality during the storage period. On the
basis of the above-mentioned definitions, a classification of
all the case studies analyzed in this paragraph is reported
in Table 1.
Among the microbiologically stable food, the roasted cof-
fee is the most studied. It is characterized by several com-
pounds able to confer, after roasting, a specific aroma, and
color to the product [12], and therefore, primary packaging
and storage conditions are strategic for preserving its qual-
ity during storage [13]. However, the rate of coffee qualiy
decay may suddenly increase after the packaging has been
opened due to the changed storage conditions. Therefore,
the evaluation of the SSL may imply better quality control
during consumption. The first study dealing with SSL of
coffee is the work of Cappuccio et al. [14], who found a
correspondence between sensory perception of staleness and
aroma determined by chemical tool in roasted and ground
coffee after opening the package and storing coffee at room
conditions, in the refrigerator and at elevated temperature.
The authors found a great correlation between sensory and
chemical. Specifically, when the sample was stored in a
refrigerator, they found aroma preservation for a longer time
and a kinetic decrease of the staling. On the contrary, when
the coffee was stored at high temperature a faster deteriora-
tion was detected.
In 2006, Anese, Manzocco, and Nicoli [15] calculated
the SSL of coffee by using a zero-order kinetic model. The
authors assumed that the kinetic constant is proportional to
the external water activity. In such a way they related the
SSL to the secondary storage conditions (i.e., the external
water activity after package opening), thus making possible
to say that the authors studied SSL by changing the second-
ary storage conditions. In fact, they monitored the changes
responsible for coffee unacceptability at different values
of external water activity. The authors used fresh dark-
roasted ground coffee; once the package was opened, the
coffee was stored at 30 °C, and at increasing water activity
13
Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762
values up to reach 0.44. The coffee was kept in that condi-
tion for 1 month. To simulate home usage, every day, the
coffee package was opened for a short time and then closed.
After the opening, coffee staling and its sensory quality were
assessed. Both sensory and instrumental data were used to
calculate the zero-order kinetic constant and its dependence
on external water activity. The calculated parameter was
used to assess the dependence of the SSL of the investigated
coffee stored at 30 °C on the external water activity, i.e., on
the secondary storage conditions.
Later, Tušek, Benkovic, and Bauman [16] estimated
the parameters of a zero- and first-order kinetics for color
changes after the primary packaging system opening. The
authors used roasted ground coffee and simulated household
storage conditions after the primary packaging system open-
ing. In this case, the influence of the secondary packaging
system (simply consisting in the unsealed primary pack-
aging) on the SSL was assessed. The color changes were
monitored as the main quality parameters. Two types of sec-
ondary packaging materials were used, tin cans and triplex
bags. A zero-order kinetic model was proposed as the most
appropriate to describe the evolution of the ground roasted
coffee color after package opening. A significant difference
was detected in the fitting parameters relative to the two
tested packaging materials. Overall, zero and first kinetic
models described much better the data when triplex bag
was used as secondary packaging system. The comparison
among kinetic parameters allowed the authors to state that
tin can was preferred as better color and light barrier system.
In 2018, some of the above authors [17] developed and
compared non-linear and linear regression models for
describing the evolution of color changes experimentally
determined in ground coffee powder during 6 months of
storage after the first opening. Also in this case, the above-
mentioned two different secondary packaging systems were
used, tin cans and triplex bags. To the aim, ground roasted
coffee was first closed in the two types of packaging and,
after opening, was stored at room temperature in a dark cup-
board, as happens at home. Packaging was opened once a
month, for 6 months of storage subsequent to the first open-
ing of the primary packaging system. Once opened, mois-
ture content, relative air humidity, air temperature, and color
parameters of the samples were monitored. The authors con-
cluded that both non-linear and linear models highlighted
that moisture content, relative humidity, and temperature
greatly influenced color change in ground roasted coffee.
Non-linear model was the most suitable to describe the evo-
lution of color changes after the primary package opening.
Triplex packaging represented the most appropriate system
for coffee preservation after pack opening.
A very recent study on freshly roasted coffee that dem-
onstrates the influence of SSL from consumer habits is the
research of Smrke et al. [18]. The authors compared four
 Table 1  Classification of all the case studies
References
Cappuccio et al. [14]
Anese et al. [15]
Tušek et al. [16]
Benkovic and Tušek [17]
Smrke et al. [18]
Fu et al. [19]
Lee et al. [25]
13
Food product Effects of secondary storage Effects of secondary packaging Influence of RSL on SSL SSL assessment
conditions on SSL conditions on SSL
Roasted ground coffee After the first package opening
coffee samples were stored at
ambient conditions, in refrig-
erator and at high temperature
After the first package opening
coffee samples were stored at
different aw values (0.17, 0.23,
0.36, and 0.44), at 30 °C for
1 month
Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762
After the first package opening
coffee samples were stored in
tin cans and triplex bags, for
6 months in a dark cupboard, at
50–60% relative humidity and
temperature of 17–22 °C
After the first package opening
coffee samples were stored for
6 months in tin cans and triplex
bags tin cans stored at ambient
conditions in dark cupboard
After the first package opening,
coffee samples were reclosed
using screw cap; clip; canister;
tape
Wine After first package opening, two
white wines (1 and 2) were
stored at different temperatures
(22, 35, and 45 °C the wine 1
and only 45 °C the wine 2)
Four different oxidation condi-
tions of Cabernet Sauvignon
wines were tested during a
1 week after package opening
751
 Table 1  (continued)
References
13
Krichene et al. [28]
Krichene et al. [29]
Garrido-Delgato et al. [30]
Cesa et al. [10]
Codurso et al. [35]
Food product Effects of secondary storage
conditions on SSL
Olive oil
Four monovarietal of Tunisian
virgin olive oils varying in
their fatty acid profile and
content of natural antioxi-
dants were stored at 5, 15, 25,
and 50 °C after first package
opening
Infant milk formula Infant milk formula stored at
different storage times (from
3 days up to 12 months) and at
different storage temperatures
(20, 40, and 55 °C) before
package opening and at dif-
ferent storage temperatures
(20 and 28 °C) after package
opening
752
Effects of secondary packaging Influence of RSL on SSL SSL assessment
conditions on SSL
Four monovarietal of Tunisian
virgin olive oils varying in their
fatty acid profile and content of
natural antioxidants were stored
at 50 °C after first package
opening
Single-variety extra virgin olive
oil was stored for 11 months in
bag-in-box, metal, dark glass,
clear glass, and polyethylene
terephthalate containers after
first opening
Infant milk formula stored for 6
and 10 months before package
opening and for 3 weeks after
package opening
Two types of infant formula (A
and B) after 5 months from
production and packaging were
stored for 1 month after first
opening. Before analyses at
0, 7, 15, 30, and 37 days after
opening, the samples were
reconstituted in water at 70, 80,
and 90 °C
Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762
 Table 1  (continued)
References Food product Effects of secondary storage Effects of secondary packaging Influence of RSL on SSL SSL assessment
conditions on SSL conditions on SSL

Dortey et al. [36] Liquid milk Four different secondary packag-

ing methods were employed
post-opening for 7 days using
2 processed liquid milk types:
milk refrigerated with its tin
in a closed storage bowl; milk
refrigerated with its tin inside a
sealed rubber; milk refrigerated
directly in its tin; milk in its
tin placed in a cup containing
Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762

water at room temperature

Nicosia et al. [11] Two commercial Italian UHT Only one of the two commercial
milk were opened right after Italian brands of UHT milk
the commercialization and was considered in a second
stored in domestic fridges for experiment carried out with
up to 16 days in their primary samples opened at the end of
packaging. Two storage primary shelf life and then
conditions were used. One stored in the fridge for up to
consisted of a single open- 11 days
ing of the package for 1 min,
during which 150 mL of milk
was withdrawn; samples stored
vertically in the fridge for up to
16 days. In the second storage
method the packages were
opened and left uncapped for
3 min, during which 150 mL
of milk were withdrawn; the
packages were kept at ambient
temperature for 30 min before
being placed horizontally in
the respective home fridge.
Each procedure was repeated
after 2 and 4 days from the first
opening
Spampinato et al. [44] Sliced cooked ham Samples of MAP sliced cooked
ham produced by five selected
industries were opened and
stored in their plastic bags at
4 °C for 12 days

13
753
 Table 1  (continued)
754

References Food product Effects of secondary storage Effects of secondary packaging Influence of RSL on SSL SSL assessment
conditions on SSL conditions on SSL

13
Nicosia et al. [46] Pesto Two shelf-stable pesto sauces
having a similar composition,
packaged in a 190-g glass jar
with a metal cap, were opened
and stored under two different
domestic environments. In one
case the scenario consisted
of single opening for each jar
to the beginning of SSL, two
tablespoons of pesto removed
from each jar, which remained
uncapped for 2 min, and the
jars closed and stored in the
fridge for 20 days. The second
scenario consisted of three
openings of each jar at 2-day
intervals, at each opening, two
tablespoons of pesto removed
from each jar, which remained
uncapped for 3 min, then the
jars closed and kept at ambient
temperature for 30 min before
placing in the fridge, where
they were stored for 20 days
Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762
Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762
different storage methods of whole roasted beans after the
primary package opening. As can be inferred, also in this
case, the authors studied the SSL considering the influence
of the secondary packaging system on the product quality
decay after the opening. The first secondary packaging
system tested was based on the transfer after primary pack-
age opening of beans into airtight canister; the second one,
in closing the primary package with tape; the third one,
in closing the primary package with clip; and the last one
in using a secondary system with an incorporated screw
cap. To compare the above secondary packaging systems,
specific freshness indices were monitored after pack-
age opening by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
Results demonstrated that among the proposed solutions,
the screw cap was the most interesting.
As regards secondary shelf life of wine, two long-
standing studies were published. The first one by Fu,
Lim, and Mcnicholas [19] is a research paper dealing
with the effects of secondary storage conditions, and in
particular storage temperature (22, 35, and 45 °C), on
the quality of white wine packaged in bag-in-box after
the primary package opening. The secondary packaging
system consisted in the unsealed bag-in-box. Therefore,
these authors aimed to assess the influence of the sec-
ondary storage conditions on the SSL. To this aim, the
authors monitored the kinetics of main quality param-
eters after the package opening. The bag-in-box, com-
pared to the more traditional bottles made up of mul-
tilayer systems and laminated cartons, was selected as
primary and secondary packaging system because it
offers improved distribution efficiency, enhanced end-
use convenience, and increased cost-effectiveness [20].
This packaging system consists in a bag made with one or
more high-barrier flexible films, reinforced by an exter-
nal paperboard carton. To dispense the product, a valve
fitment is attached to the bag. After the primary pack-
aging system is opened, a potential temperature abuse
and oxygen ingress can affect product quality. Degrada-
tion of freshness in terms of fruity traits and browning
reactions can occur [21–23]. The study of Fu et al. [19]
monitored and correlated several enological parameters
­ O2, total aldehyde,
(color and contents of free and total S
and total phenol) to the oxygen transmission rate and
the Fourier transform infrared spectral data [24]. Results
demonstrated important correlations among wine quality
parameters. In fact, the authors assessed the chemometric
approach to analyze Fourier transform infrared spectral
data as valid device for determining wine quality. The
authors assessed that wine quality changes were signifi-
cantly affected by the gas barrier properties of the sec-
ondary packaging system. Finally, they concluded that
the secondary packaging conditions, such as the expo-
sure of wines packaged in the bag-in-box to elevated
755
temperature and oxygen, can influence the evolution of
the enological parameters after the opening.
Two years later, Lee, Kang, and Park [25] published a
paper dealing with the effects of oxygen on volatile and
sensory characteristics of cabernet sauvignon after the pri-
mary package opening. To the aim, four different oxida-
tion conditions were used. The wine quality was monitored
during a 1-week period after the primary package opening.
The authors approached the SSL issue by considering the
influence of the secondary storage conditions on the quality
kinetic after package opening. To the aim, they used head-
space solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chroma-
tography–quadrupole mass spectrometry and sensory tests,
in addition to proper statistical analysis of data. During the
storage period after the pack opening, the differences among
samples highly depended on the wine oxidation level [26].
Results demonstrated proper correlation of chemical data
with sensory perception, thus suggesting that the statistical
tools adopted for data elaboration were appropriate to deter-
mine the oxidation level of wine during SSL.
The quality loss of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) after the
primary packaging system opening was also studied. EVOO
is very hostile for microorganisms, so it generally does not
undergo microbial decay. Oxidation is the main problem
[27]. In the literature, three articles were reported on the
topic. The first one is by Krichene et al. [28], who studied
EVOO stability during a term storage of 8 months after the
opening, under temperature abuse (50 °C) to accelerate oxi-
dation reactions. To the aim, four different monovarietal of
Tunisian oils, differing in fatty acid profile and content of
natural antioxidants, were used. Later, some of the above
authors [29] studied the stability of virgin olive oil phe-
nolic compounds during 18 months after the first opening,
at different secondary storage conditions, i.e., at 5, 15, 25,
and 50 °C. The authors demonstrated that oil stored under
temperature lower than the usual commercial conditions
(20–25 °C) is better preserved. The same four oil varieties
investigated in the previous study were considered. Results
of both these studies gave information about the degrada-
tion rate of oil after package opening as affected by both oil
characteristics and secondary storage conditions.
Garrido-Delgato et al. [30] assessed the SSL of EVOO
as influenced by the secondary packaging system and sec-
ondary storage conditions. The samples were monitored for
11 months after the package opening. To the aim, the authors
used a single variety of EVOO. The primary packaging sys-
tems were bag-in-box, metal, dark glass, clear glass, and
polyethylene terephthalate containers. It is worth noting that
also in this case the secondary packaging system consists in
the unsealed primary packaging. To simulate home use, after
the first opening, the oils were opened periodically. On the
other hand, to simulate storage conditions on market shelves,
other containers were kept sealed. The results highlighted
13
756
that physico-chemical and instrumental parameters recorded
on the investigated secondary packaging systems were com-
parable. Among the systems studied, the best secondary
packaging was the bag-in-box container, able to preserve
EVOO quality for 11 months after the first opening.
Another food category to be considered in the group of
microbiologically stable foods is that of the infant milk for-
mula, being particularly prone to autoxidation. Infant milk
formulations are made of 33% fats and are very rich in poly-
unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), important elements for the
newborn development [31]. Decay of foods rich in lipids
involves first peroxides formation, and then progress of off-
flavored and potentially toxic, mutagen, and carcinogenic
secondary products, with consequent loss of food nutritional
value [32]. For this reason, the formulation, the storage tem-
perature, and both primary and secondary packaging systems
of infant formula are of crucial importance to avoid autoxi-
dative decomposition. Among the various quality attributes,
the malondialdehyde (MDA) is the most preferred [33], as
valid food oxidation index [34]. In this context, Cesa et al.
[10] evaluated the stability of infant milk formulas, supple-
mented with PUFAs, under different primary and secondary
storage conditions, through the monitoring of MDA after
the box opening. As reported in the introduction section,
for the first time these authors stressed not only the impor-
tance of the storage conditions after package opening but
also the influence of the moment when the primary package
was opened on the SSL. Therefore, in this study for the first
time, the authors investigated the SSL as influenced by the
extent of deteriorative reactions at the package opening. To
this aim, the authors used an experimental plan with 30 dif-
ferent samples of powder milk formulas differing in the time
at which the primary package was opened (samples opened
immediately after manufacturing, after 6 months of storage,
and after 10 months of storage), in the primary storage con-
ditions (i.e., the temperature at 20, 40, and 55 °C before box
opening), and in the secondary storage conditions (i.e., the
temperature at 20 and 28 °C after box opening). Results on
milk formula analyzed immediately after manufacturing and
stored for 3 months after opening at 40 °C showed less oxi-
date samples. When samples were stored for 2 weeks after
opening at 55 °C, high level of MDA was detected. A very
similar trend was also recorded in samples analyzed after
1 year of storage before opening at 20 °C. Therefore, storage
conditions after opening, extent of deteriorative reactions
at the package opening, and temperature at which samples
are stored before opening the container can play a key role
on the SSL.
Codurso et al. [35] also published a study focused on the
quality decay of both powdered infant formula (PIF, bovine
milk), and lactose-free PIF (lactose-free product based on
glucose syrup) during the period after the primary packaging
system opening. Contrary to the previous study, in this work,
13
Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762
the authors investigated the product quality after package
opening, using the label indications for the milk reconstitu-
tion and therefore mixing milk in water at 70 °C, 80 °C,
and 90 °C. They did not consider the effect of the extent of
deteriorative reactions at the package opening on the sec-
ondary shelf life. In fact, only samples after 5 months from
processing were considered for the tests. To the aim of the
work, Maillard reaction level and changes in lipid peroxida-
tion were monitored up to the expiration date (i.e., at 0, 7,
15, 30, and 37 days). Results from this study highlighted that
hot water could promote lipid peroxidation, and therefore,
the water temperature for infant formula reconstitution plays
a key role. Due to the above findings [35], SSL no more than
15 days should be indicated for infant formula with a com-
position similar to that of those analyzed in this case study.
Regarding the three types of microbiologically unstable
foods, the case of liquid milk (pasteurized and UHT) was
investigated by different authors. First, Dortey, Aboagye, and
Tuah [36] studied the quality decay of processed liquid milk
after package opening, as affected by both the secondary
packaging and secondary storage conditions. Milk is a very
perishable product. It can be spoiled and can provoke public
health consequences [37, 38]. The research of Dortey et al.
[36] specifically refers to Ghana situation, with many people
at risk of milk-borne illnesses for improper use of milk after
opening. Therefore, to give proper suggestions about product
storage, the authors conducted this research investigating
different secondary packaging systems for processed liquid
milk. The authors assessed the milk quality after package
opening and during the subsequent week of storage. To this
aim, they focused attention on two highly utilized milk prod-
ucts. These samples were stored after opening using different
methods: refrigerated with their tin in a closed storage bowl,
refrigerated with their tin inside a sealed rubber, refrigerated
directly in their tin, and put with their tin in a cup containing
water at room temperature. The first three practices differ for
the secondary package, whereas the last one for the second-
ary storage conditions. After the primary package opening,
the microbiological quality and pH of milks were assessed
for 7 days. Results suggested that different evolutions were
recorded in the various proposed solutions, even though
in all the packaging the SSL was equal to 2 days. Enteric
bacteria and Salmonella represent the main pathogens that
can affect milk acceptability after 2 days. The best system
for maintaining a high microbiological quality of both pro-
cessed liquid milks within a week post-opening is repre-
sented by the tin with a covered storage bowl. The lack of
real changes in terms of color, taste, smell, and pH does not
imply milk acceptability from the microbiological point of
view. Moreover, from the study of Dortey et al. [36], it can
be inferred that if processed liquid milk must be consumed
within 2 days from its opening, the storing at room tempera-
ture, in a cup with water, is the best method.
Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762
More recently, Nicosia et al. [11] assessed the SSL of
UHT milk to reduce the waste at household level. To the
aim, the authors used two UHT milk types simulating
homemade habits in terms of first opening and storage.
As reported in the “Introduction” section, this is another
example from the literature where the impact of the extent
of deteriorative reactions at the package opening on SSL
was considered. In fact, the authors carried out two differ-
ent tests, one where samples were opened right after their
commercialization and another one with samples opened
at the expiration date reported on the packaging. To deter-
mine the SSL, the researchers monitored in both tests the
main quality parameters during few days of storage after the
first opening. The authors simulated two types of second-
ary domestic storage conditions, based on numerous and
lesser use repetitions. The comparisons between the two
tests highlighted the influence of the extent of deteriorative
reactions at the package opening on SSL. In fact, the sam-
ple opened right after the commercialization recorded SSL
(12–13 days) higher than that of milk opened at the end of
the PSL and stored under the same secondary storage con-
ditions (6–7 days). Anyhow, results from the current study
demonstrated that SSL of UHT milk is generally underesti-
mated. Considering the general 3–4 days reported on most
UHT milk packages, the authors stated that the SSL could
be amplified [39]. Nicosia et al. [11] demonstrated that SSL
under proper storage refrigerated conditions could be pro-
longed up to 6–7 days. Therefore, the experimental findings
of the current study, properly diffused to final consumers,
suggest that a re-assessment of milk SSL on the packag-
ing could prevent food waste. The authors also underlined
that results from their research could gain relevance also at
industrial level because the longer SSL could mean higher
sustainability and better market position.
Sliced cooked ham is another fresh product which, after
package opening, is highly susceptible to microbial prolifer-
ation [40]. It is generally stored in a plastic tray under modi-
fied atmosphere conditions. Usually, gas mixture of 70%
­N2 and 30% ­CO2 is able to control quality decay and assure
primary shelf life of about 30 days [41–43]. When we open
the package, the headspace gas composition changes and the
food lost the packaging protection; therefore, the SSL is sig-
nificantly shorter than PSL. Spampinato et al. [44] recently
investigated the quality decay kinetics of cooked ham pro-
duced by 5 companies. The samples were monitored for 12
days after the primary package opening. During storage,
the samples in the unsealed primary packaging bag were
put in a domestic refrigerator at 5.2 ± 0.6 °C. Samples with
at least 2 weeks from the expiration date were selected,
and with the indication to consume the food after a maxi-
mum of 3 days after the primary package opening. Specifi-
cally, the authors monitored microbial, physical, chemical,
and sensory quality of sliced cooked ham after the bag
757
opening. They found that products became unacceptable
after 12 days from the package opening, even though after
the first 8 days some defects started to appear. Main volatile
metabolites that describe the undesired profile evolution of
the samples were detected and high microbial load, already
at the opening of the package, was found. In particular, a
high concentration of lactic acid bacteria was counted, thus
justifying lack of other microbial species. However, this
experimental evidence suggested that the proliferation that
occurred after the primary package opening did not derive
from environmental cross-contamination at the tray opening.
Thus, the research puts the industrial operators on the alert
since it highlights that production and packaging are crucial
steps to manage the safety issue after the pack opening.
The last case study regards the Pesto alla Genovese, a
traditional Italian sauce made from basil, grated hard cheese,
pine seeds, olive oil, salt, and garlic. It is packaged in glass
jars and has been considered a stable product. Primary
shelf life is 2–3 years [45]. The study carried out by Nicosia
et al. [46] aimed to assess the SSL of pesto to verify
if the information given on the label about the use of the
product after jar opening is appropriate or underestimates
the SSL. Therefore, the current research also aims to avoid
useless household food waste. To this aim, the authors,
using a deterministic approach, selected two types of pesto,
with 1 year from the expiration date reported on the label,
and SSL of 5 days reported on the label. They assessed the
influence of secondary storage conditions on the SSL by
simulating the real opening and storage conditions in five
domestic environments under two scenarios, based on the
repetitions and duration of each opening. Microbial prolif-
eration, sensory properties, color changes, pH, and volatiles
profile were used to assess the quality decay kinetic after the
jar opening. The interesting results recorded highlighted that
for both types of pesto, SSL higher than 20 days was found,
being the product bacteriologically stable. Color parameters
and sensory properties did not change significantly after the
jar opening. Based on these findings, the authors suggested
the possibility to significantly prolong SSL. They also sug-
gested that industrial operators could skip SSL indications
on the label, with benefic consequence on food sustainability
because both household stock turnover and domestic food
waste could be advantageously reduced.
The Dependence of SSL on the Extent
of Deteriorative Reactions at the Package
Opening: a Theoretical Approach
In this paragraph, an attempt is made to provide the theo-
retical background for modeling the dependence of SSL on
the extent of deteriorative reactions at the package opening.
To this end, the introduction of the notion of residual shelf
13
758
life (RSL) is in order, being a measure of the extent of dete-
riorative reactions at the package opening. To define RSL,
let us consider a given time (t), ranging between 0, i.e., the
moment when the food is packaged, and the moment when
the packaged food become no longer acceptable (i.e., PSL).
By definition, RSL at the time t (bounded between 0 and
PSL) is the difference between the primary shelf life of the
packaged food and the time t (i.e., RSL = PSL − t). In other
words, RSL at time t is how long the packaged product will
take at time t, if stored under the primary storage conditions,
to become no longer acceptable. According to this definition,
RSL spans between 0 and PSL, being 0 when t is equal to
PSL, and being equal to the packaged food primary shelf
life when t is equal to 0. For the sake of clarity, in this study,
when t is the time when the package is opened, it will be
referred to as t*, and the residual shelf life will be referred
to as RSL*. It is worth noting that a substantial difference
between SSL and RSL* can be observed only when the
primary packaging and the storage conditions significantly
affect the PSL. This is the case of food products packaged
under modified atmosphere conditions, foods that undergo
a thermal treatment after their package, foods packaged in
aseptic conditions, etc. In all these cases, a change in the
primary packaging and in the storage conditions (i.e., the
opening of the primary packaging) brings about a marked
increase in the rate at which the phenomena that cause food
unacceptability proceed. In turn, this makes the SSL much
lower that the RSL*. In all the above-mentioned cases, it
may be extremely useful to find a correlation between SSL
and RSL*.
It is well known that for a given primary packaging
and a given packaged food, the PSL value of the pack-
aged food only depends on the used primary storage condi-
tions. On the contrary, the SSL depends on the secondary
packaging and storage conditions, as well as on the RSL*
Fig. 1  SSL as function of RSL*.
The curves were obtained by
means of Eq. (1) using a PSL
value of 20 days, and a SSLmax
of 10 days. Each curve refers to
a different value of b
13
Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762
value. In fact, the RSL* value is a valuable parameter,
as it indirectly brings with it the information on the pri-
mary packaging and storage conditions, and consequently
on the extent, at the time the package is opened, of the
mechanism of deterioration, thus contributing to decrease
the packaged food quality during its storage. It must be
underlined that only the dependence of SSL on RSL* will
be considered in the following; it implies that it is assumed
that all the other variables on which SSL depends are set
constant.
Concerning the dependence of SSL on the RSL∗ , one
can say that when RSL∗ is equal to PSL (i.e., the package
is opened right after the food has been packaged), SSL
reaches its maximum value (SSLmax ); on the other hand, if
RSL* is equal to 0 (i.e., the packaged is opened as soon as
the food becomes no longer acceptable), then SSL is equal
to 0. Therefore, it can be stated that the SSL has to be an
increasing function of RSL*. In principle, any function
can be used to describe the dependence of SSL on RSL∗ ;
Eq. (1) is proposed, being a very simple approach:
[ ( )]
SSLmax RSL∗
SSL = ( ) ⋅ 1 − exp −
𝛽 (1)
1 − exp − PSLk
where 𝛽 is a constant, with dimension of a time, and the
same units of RLS*. In fact, Eq. (1) is a first-order type
equation used in this study to describe the dependence of
SSL , the dependent variable from RSL∗, the independent
variable. The model parameters are SSLmax and 𝛽 .
In Fig. 1, the SSL is designed as a function of RSL*,
the curves are Eq. (1) using a PSL value of 20 days, and
a SSLmax of 10 days (for example, a fresh dairy cheese),
each curve refers to a different value of b. To better under-
stand the physical meaning of the parameter b appearing in
Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762 759

Eq. (1), let us consider a given value of RSL*, for instance,
5 days. For the sake of clarity, a vertical dashed line has
been drawn in Fig. 1 at RSL* equal to 5 days. The inter-
cept of the vertical line with the curves shown in the figure
gives the value of the SSL of each curve at RLS* equal
to 5 days.
As one can observe, as the values of b decrease, the values
of SSL at 5 days increase. Based on this observation, it can be
stated that the lower b is, the slower the SSL will reach 0 as
the RSL* decreases (i.e., t* increases to reach the PSL value).
In fact, for very small value of b, SSL is close to its maximum
value, even when the package opening takes place close to its
primary shelf life (i.e., when the packaged food is about no
longer acceptable for consumption).
As reported earlier, both SSL and RSL* are lower and
upper bounded. In fact, SSL spans between 0 and SSLmax ,
whereas RSL* spans between 0 and PSL.
Based on this observation, Eq. (1) can be rearranged as
follows:
does SSL , and when RSL∗ is equal to 1 the SSL assumes the
same value.
In Fig. 2, the SSL is plotted as a function of RSL∗ and the
curves are Eq. (3), considering different values of 𝛽 .
As one can observe, Fig. 2 is the normalized version of
Fig. 1, as the values of 𝛽 used to draw the curves shown in
Fig. 2 were obtained by dividing the ones used in Fig. 1 by
20 days (i.e., the PSL value used to plot the curves shown in
Fig. 1). The advantage of using Eq. (3) in place of the more
intuitive Eq. (1) is that a single curve can embrace a much
bigger number of case studies. As an example, in Fig. 3, two
different case studies are plotted; Fig. 3a shows SSL plot-
ted vs RSL* using Eq. (1), whereas Fig. 3b shows the same
case studies plotted in the normalized form using Eq. (3).
The values of PSL, ­SSLmax, and b of these case studies were
chosen in such a way that they can be represented by the
same curve when plotted SSL vs RSL∗ .

⎡ ⎛ RSL ⎞⎤
∗

SSL 1 Concluding Remarks

= � � ⎢1 − exp⎜− PSL ⎟⎥
(2)
⋅
SSLmax ⎢ ⎜ 𝛽 ⎟⎥
1 − exp − 1
𝛽
⎣ ⎝ PSL ⎠⎦ The deep knowledge about the proper time to consume a
food after first package opening could have relevant out-
PSL

which in turn can be rearranged in the following expression: comes. It is important to correctly assess the SSL without
[ ( )] making underestimation, because lack/incorrect informa-
1 RSL∗ tion on the label promotes food waste. Therefore, strategies
SSL = ( ) ⋅ 1 − exp − (3) aimed to increase SSL also mean paying attention to a more
1 − exp − 1 𝛽
𝛽 sustainable food chain. SSL is a topic still underestimated,
even though in the last years a vigorous increase of publica-
where SSL = SSL
is the normalized secondary shelf life,
∗
SSLmax tions dealing with food waste was recorded. A reinforcement
RSL =∗ RSL
PSL
is the normalized RSL*, and 𝛽 = PSL k
is the of research on the SSL appears strategic to control the food
dimensionless version of the parameter b. In fact, both SSL waste and add new information to the existing studies of the
and RSL∗ span between 0 and 1, when RSL∗ is 0 the same literature, still limited to a small range of commodities. SSL
and waste prevention have not to be treated separately; there
are opportunities for their integration not always considered.
Today, food safety indicator (“Use-by date”) or food qual-
ity indicator (“Best before date”) represent similar informa-
tion for the generic consumer because both are perceived as
safety label communication. This lack of knowledge pro-
motes undesired food waste. Similarly, unproper information
on SSL can lead to excessive waste generation. It is not easy
to produce appropriate labels for the myriad of food. Great
efforts are necessary because data on the label about SSL
could increase consumer awareness. Specifically, the expli-
cations of conditions to be respected after package opening
(immediate closing, immediate storing under refrigerated
temperature, etc.) could really prevent food waste, together
with its negative impact on the environment.
More attention must be paid to advance the knowledge
about main factors responsible for food quality decay after
Fig. 2  SSL as a function of RSL∗ . The curves are Eq. (3) with differ- package opening. The concept of RSL needs to be carry
ent values of b out in practical food applications to become a valid tool

13
760 Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762

Fig. 3  a SSL as a function of

RSL*. The curves are Eq. (1).
b SSL as a function of RSL∗ .
The curves are Eq. (3)

for SSL estimation, and to select the best approach for
SSL prevision. In the second part of the present study,
a deterministic approach is proposed to relate the SSL
to the RSL*. The proposed approach is intended for all
those cases where the opening of the package induces an
increase in the rate at which the phenomena that cause
food unacceptability proceed. A simple model based on a
first-order type equation is also proposed. The model has
two parameters: SSLmax and b. The former is the maximum
value that the SSL can reach when RSL∗ is equal to PSL
(i.e., the package is opened right after the food has been
packaged). The other model parameter, b, is a measure of
how fast the SSL tends to 0 as the RSL* tends to 0 (i.e., t*
tends to the PSL value). In particular, it has been shown
that the lower b is the slower SSL tends to 0 as the RSL*
tends to 0.
Author Contribution Conceptualization, M.A.D. and A.C.; biblio-
graphic research, A.C.; modeling, M.A.D.; writing—original draft
preparation, A.C. and M.A.D.; writing—review and editing, M.A.D.
and A.C.; supervision, A.C. All authors have read and agreed to the
published version of the manuscript.
Funding Open access funding provided by Università di Foggia within
the CRUI-CARE Agreement.
Data Availability No data was used for the research described in the
article.

13
Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762
Declarations
Competing Interests The authors declare no competing interests.
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attri-
bution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adapta-
tion, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long
as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source,
provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes
were made. The images or other third party material in this article are
included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated
otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in
the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not
permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will
need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a
copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
References
1. Lourenco CE, Porpino G, Lobo Araujo CM, Marques VL,
Matzembacher DE (2022) We need to talk about infrequent high
volume household food waste: a theory of planned behaviour per-
spective. Sustainable Prod Consump 33:38–48
2. Oláh J, Kasza G, Szabó-Bódi B, Szakos D, Popp J, Lakner Z
(2022) Household food waste research: the current state of the
art and a guided tour for further development. Front Env Sci
10:916601
3. FUSIONS (2016) Estimates of European food waste levels. Stock-
holm: Eu-fusions
4. Manzocco L, Alongi M, Sillani S, Nicoli MC (2016) Technologi-
cal and consumer strategies to tackle food wasting. Food Eng Rev
8:457–467
5. Dusoruth V, Peterson HH (2020) Food waste tendencies: behav-
ioral response to cosmetic deterioration of food. PLoS ONE
15(5):e0233287
6. Lusk JL, Ellison B (2020) Economics of household food waste.
Can J of Agric Econom 68:379–386
7. Rolker H, Eisler M, Cardenas L, Deeney M, Takahashi T (2022)
Food waste interventions in low-and-middle-income countries: a
systematic literature review. Res Cons Rec 186:106534
8. Graham-Rowe E, Jessop DC, Sparks P (2014) Identifying moti-
vations and barriers to minimizing household food waste. Res
Conserv & Recycl 84:15–23
9. Nicoli MC, Calligaris S (2018) Secondary shelf life: an underes-
timated issue. Food Eng Rev 10:57–65
10. Cesa S, Casadei MA, Cerreto F, Paolicelli P (2015) Infant milk
formulas: effect of storage conditions on the stability of powdered
products towards autoxidation. Foods 4:487–500
11. Nicosia C, Fava P, Pulvirenti A, Licciardell F (2022) Secondary
shelf life assessment of UHT milk and its potential for food waste
reduction. Food Pack Shelf Life 33:100880
12. Bicho NC, Leitao AE, Ramalho JC, Lidon FC (2012) Use of col-
our parameters for roasted coffee assessment. Food Sci Technol
(Campinas) 32:436–442
13. Rendon MY, Garcia Salva T, Bragagnolo N (2014) Impact of
chemical changes on the sensory characteristics of coffee beans
during storage. Food Chem 147:279–286
14. Cappuccio R, Full G, Lonzarich V, Savonitti O. (2001) Staling
of roasted and round coffee at different temperatures: combining
sensory and GC analysis. Proceedings of the 19th International
Scientific Colloquium on Coffee, Trieste, Italy, 2001:1–11
15. Anese M, Manzocco L, Nicoli MC (2006) Modeling secondary shelf
life of ground roasted coffee. J Agric Food Chem 54:5571–5576
761
16. Tusek AJ, Benkovic M, Bauman I (2015) Kinetics of colour
change in roasted ground coffee during secondary shelf-life. J
Process Energy Agric 19:1
17. Benkovic M, Tusek, AJ (2018) Regression models for description
of roasted ground coffee powder color change during secondary
shelf-life as related to storage conditions and packaging material.
Bever 4(1)
18. Smrke S, Adam J, Muhlemann S, Lantz I, Yeretzian C (2022)
Effects of different coffee storage methods on coffee freshness
after opening of packages. Food Pack Shelf Life 33:100893
19. Fu Y, Lim LT, Mcnicholas PD (2009) Changes on enological
parameters of white wine packaged in bax-in-box during second-
ary shelf life. J Food Sci 74:608–618
20. Doyon GJ, Oulet PC, Chalifoux L, Pascat B (1995) Measurement
of valve oxygen diffusion for bag in-box applications under three
possible ambient conditions. Pack Technol Sci 8(4):171–193
21. Hernanz D, Gallo V, Recamales AF, Melendez-Martinez AJ,
Gonzalez-Miret ML, Heredia FJ (2009) Effect of storage on the
phenolic content, volatile composition and colour of white wines
from the varieties Zalema and Colombard. Food Chem 113:530–537
22. Salacha MI, Kallithraka S, Tzourou I (2008) Browning of white
wines: correlation with. Technol Sci 8:171–193
23. Sioumis N, Kallithraka S, Makris DP, Kefalas P (2006) Kinetics
of browning onset in white wines: influence of principal redox-
active polyphenols and impact on the reducing capacity. Food
Chem 94:98–104
24. Urbano Cuadrado M, Luque de Castro MD, Perez JPM, Gomez-
Nieto MA (2005) Comparison and joint use of near infrared
spectroscopy and Fourier transform mid infrared spectroscopy
for the determination of wine parameters. Talanta 66:218–224
25. Lee DH, Kang BS, Park HJ (2011) Effect of oxygen on volatile
and sensory characteristics of cabernet sauvignon during sec-
ondary shelf life. J Agric Food Chem 59:11657–11666
26. du Toit WJ, Marais J, Pretorius IS, du Toit M (2006) Oxygen in
must and wine: a review. Int J Food Sci Technol 43:1073–1077
27. Mancebo-Campos V, Salvador MD, Fregapane G (2022) Model-
ling virgin olive oil potential shelf-life from antioxidants and
lipid oxidation progress. Antiox 11:539
28. Krichene D, Allalout A, Macebo-Campos V, Salvador M,
Zarrouk M, Fregapane G (2010) Stability of virgin olive oil and
behaviour of its natural antioxidants under medium temperature
accelerated storage conditions. Food Chem 121:171–177
29. Krichene D, Salvador M, Fregapane G (2015) Stability of virgin olive
oil phenolic compounds during long-term storage (18months) at
temperatures of 5–50 degrees C. J Agric Food Chem 63:6779–6786
30. Garrido-Delgato R, Mar Dobao-Prieto M, Arce L, Aguilar J,
Cumplido JL, Valcarce M (2015) Ion mobility spectrometry
versus classical physico-chemical analysis for assessing the
shelf life of extra virgin olive oil according to container type
and storage conditions. J Agric Food Chem 63:2179–2188
31. Koletzko B, Lien E, Agostoni C, Boehles H, Campoy C, Cetin
I, Decsi T, Dudenhausen JW, Dupont C, Forsyth S, Hoesli I,
Holzgreve W, Lapillonne A, Putet G, Secher NJ, Symonds M,
Szajewska H, Willatts P, Uauy R (2008) The roles of long-chain
polyunsaturated fatty acids in pregnancy, lactation and infancy:
Review of current knowledge and consensus recommendations.
J Perin Med 36:5–14
32. Rodriguez-Alcalà LM, Garcia-Martinez M, Cachon F, Marmesat
S, Alonso L, Marquez-Ruiz G, Fontecha J (2007) Changes in the
lipid composition of powdered infant formulas during long-term
storage. J Agric Food Chem 55:6533–6538
33. Cesa S (2004) Malondialdehyde contents in infant milk formu-
las. J Agric Food Chem 52:2119–2122
34. Yin H, Porter NA (2005) New insights regarding the autoxi-
dation of polyunsaturated fatty acid. Antiox Redox Signal
7:170–184
13
762
35. Condurso C, Cincotta F, Merlino M, Stanton C, Verzera A
(2020) Stability of powdered infant formula during secondary
shelf-life and domestic practices. Int Dairy J 109:104761
36. Dortey MD, Aboagye G, Tuah B (2020) Effect of storage meth-
ods and duration of storage on the bacteriological quality of
processed liquid milk post-opening. Scient African 10:e00555
37. Barbano DM, Ma Y, Santos MV (2006) Influence of raw milk
quality on fluid milk shelf life. J Dairy Sci 89:15–19
38. De Jonghe V, Coorevits A, Van Hoorde K, Messens W, Van
Landschoot A, De Vos P, Heyndrickx M (2011) Influence of
storage conditions on the growth of pseudomonas species in
refrigerated raw milk. Appl Envir Microbiol 77:460–470
39. Bezie A (2019) The effect of different heat treatment on the
nutritional value of milk and milk products and shelf-life of
milk products. A review. J Dairy Veter Scie 11(5)
40. Dušková M, Kameník J, Laèanin I, Šedo O, Zdráhal Z (2016)
Lactic acid bacteria in cooked hams–sources of contamination
and chances of survival in the product. Food Control 61:1–5
41. Holm ES, Adamsen AP, Feilberg A, Schäfer A, Løkke MM,
Petersen MA (2013) Quality changes during storage of cooked
and sliced meat products measured with PTR-MS and HS-GC-
MS. Meat Sci 95:302–310
13
Food Engineering Reviews (2023) 15:748–762
42. Kreyenschmidt J, Hübner A, Beierle E, Chonsch L, Scherer A,
Petersen B (2010) Determination of the shelf life of sliced cooked
ham based on the growth of lactic acid bacteria in different steps
of the chain. J Applied Microbiol 108:510–520
43. Leroy F, Vasilopoulos C, Van Hemelryck S, Falony G, De Vuyst
L (2009) Volatile analysis of spoiled, artisan-type, modified-
atmosphere packaged cooked ham stored under different tempera-
tures. Food Microbiol 26:94
44. Spampinato G, Candeliere F, Ameretti A, Licciardello F, Rossi
M, Raimondi S (2022) Microbiota survey of sliced cooked ham
during the secondary shelf life. Front Microbiol 13:842390
45. Zardetto S, Barbanti D (2020) Shelf life assessment of fresh green
pesto using an accelerated test approach. Food Pack Shelf Life
25:100524
46. Nicosia C, Fava P, Pulvirenti A, Antonelli A, Licciardello F
(2021) Domestic use simulation and secondary shelf life assess-
ment of industrial Pesto alla Genovese. Foods 10:1948
Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to
jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.