The SUSSLE Process/shelf-life is an outcome from the recently completed LINK project. It is an intermediate heat process and shelf-life that can be used for the safe production of cooked chilled foods. However, the SUSSLE Process/shelf-life cannot presently be used in the production of all cooked chilled foods. The project aims to combine details from industry of processing energy/efficiency, environmental impact, waste reduction etc with robust new scientific data to resolve this practical issue faced by manfacturers thermally processing cooked chilled foods with intermediate shelf lives, and aims to extend the range of foods for which the SUSSLE Process/shelf-life can be applied. The findings will be exploited by food manufacturers in the continued safe production of a greater range of cooked chilled foods.

Technical Abstract:
The SUSSLE Process/Shelf Life is an outcome from the recently completed LINK project AFM266. It is an intermediate heat process and shelf-life that can be used for the safe production of cooked chilled foods. However, the SUSSLE Process/Shelf Life cannot presently be used in the production of all cooked chilled foods. The project aims to combine details from industry of processing energy/efficiency, environmental impact, waste reduction etc with robust new scientific data to resolve this practical issue faced by manfacturers thermally processing cooked chilled foods with intermediate shelf lives, and aims to extend the range of foods for which the SUSSLE Process/Shelf Life can be applied. The findings will be exploited by CFA Members in the continued safe production of a greater range of cooked chilled foods.

Potential Impact:
Impact will be in the area of improved food security and food safety. Since funding has already been agreed through the TSB scheme, it can be appreciated that this is considerable.

The recently-completed 3 year BBSRC/Defra LINK project AFM266 (SUSSLE) identified a new thermal process (SUSSLE Process) suitable for the production of chilled food packs of up to 750g with intermediate shelf lives (a specified value of >10 days and <42 days -the SUSSLE Shelf Life) with respect to non-proteolytic C.botulinum. There are two outstanding issues that this project will now resolve: (i) ca. 10-12% of the chilled ready meals market at retail in the UK are sold in packs >750g. WIP (work-in-progress) materials are often held at >750g. It is necessary to evaluate safety with respect to non-proteolytic C.botulinum in these larger volumes; and (ii) psychrotrophic B. cereus is a recognised hazard in extended shelf life chilled foods, and the SUSSLE Process needs to be validated for this pathogen. Additionally, the primary control measure for this organism - rapid post-process chilling - is poorly defined and requires quantification to provide for informed, precise control to assure food safety.

Extending the applicability of findings from the BBSRC/Defra LINK (AFM 266) SUSSLE project to larger pack sizes will enable the estimated 10-12% of packs (ca. £120m of chilled ready meals p.a.) not currently covered by SUSSLE's outputs to take advantage of the SUSSLE Process and Shelf Life, whilst being assured of having implemented cooling protocols necessary to control psychrotrophic B.cereus, which is a hazardous pathogen at intermediate shelf lives. This extension of shelf life from the current ceiling of 10 days will contribute to reducing waste arising both on-site, in the distribution chain and in the home, saving resources and bringing environmental benefits. Greater efficiencies in food manufacture are expected from the potential for application of the SUSSLE Shelf Life to work-in-progress where larger volumes than 750g of thermally processed food are held until required.

Being able to apply the SUSSLE Process instead of the currently-required 90C/10 mins equivalent would provide for thermal processing energy reductions of 8-9%. The proposed work will enable UK chilled food manufacturing businesses to compete not only with imports of extended life since it will establish a sound scientific basis for shelf life and thermal processing with respect to relevant sporeformers.

The 10-12% of the current UK retail chilled ready meal market is estimated by CFA from data provided by its members to comprise packs >750g, represents a market of ca. £120m per annum, with market growth at +10% p.a. Additionally, WIP materials are often held in packs >750g. The market is served by more than a dozen major UK manufacturers primarily producing food under retailers' own label, many of whom also supply the UK's foodservice market, which is dominated by large pack sizes. Findings from the project will be fed into SUSSLE implementation work by CFA members co-ordinated by CFA.

The results of the project will be adopted and disseminated through CFA meetings and communications to its members, which represent some 80% of the UK's chilled prepared food production. Outputs will be exploited through CFA, with guidance and software hosted on the CFA website. CFA will run workshops for members, retail customers and can ultimately do so for any non-member chilled food manufacturers. CFA will incorporate findings into its manufacturing guidance and relevant scientific papers will be submitted to peer-reviewed publications by the consortium. Project outputs will be communicated throughout its lifetime to CFA members to enable early uptake of key findings.