Vacuum-packed chilled foods guidance

Clostridium botulinum can produce a toxin that can cause a fatal form of food poisoning and the bacterium is able to grow and produce the toxin in the absence of oxygen. Vacuum-packing techniques remove air to increase the shelf life of chilled foods but under this condition C. botulinum are still able to grow.  It is important that vacuum-packed chilled foods have the necessary controlling factors or hurdles in place to minimise the risk of growth and toxin production by this organism, throughout the shelf life of the product.

The UK’s Food Standards Agency has produced guidance and a fact sheet to help minimise the risk of C. botulinum in vacuum and modified atmosphere packed chilled foods. The guidance is designed to assist small businesses and local authority environmental health officers assess the risks.

This guidance sets out processes, such as heat treatment, pH and salt levels, that should be used if food businesses are setting a shelf life of more than 10 days.

The guidance is applicable to raw and ready-to-eat vacuum-packed or modified atmosphere-packed chilled foods, and provides advice on how to produce these foods safely.

The guidance explains the 10-day shelf life rule, and the requirement for additional controlling factors, where the shelf life is greater than 10 days. This guidance is recommended for use by manufacturers and retailers of chilled vacuum- and modified atmosphere-packed (VP/MAP) foods and to assist in the practical development of HACCP for these foods. It is designed to meet the needs of all levels of expertise, from technical managers in large enterprises to small businesses and individuals. The guidance is also designed to help food law enforcement officers carrying out their enforcement duties.

The technical guidance and the fact sheet are available online.