Application of Arrhenius Equation to Predict the Self Life of Food Commodities

Description shelf life (expiry date) of food products represents one of the
information required to be specified by the manufacturer on the label of food
packaging. The inclusion of information on the shelf life become very important, as it
related to food safety and product quality assurance at the time the product arrived to
consumer. The obligation about shelf life on food labels is set in the food laws
number 7/1996 and government regulations number 69/1999 about label and food
advertisement.
Food product shelf life is the time interval between production time until
consumption in which products are in satisfactory condition on the nature of
appearance, taste, texture and aroma of a good nutritional value. A product is said to
be in the range where the quality of life of the product is acceptable in general for
purposes as desired by the consumer and for packaging material still has the integrity
and protect packaging. Information about the product shelf life is very important for
consumers, producers, sellers and distributors. Consumers will know the level of
safety and feasibility of the product to be consumed in addition to know the
indications of the change in taste, appearance or nutritional content. For producers,
this information is part of the marketing concept and very important for the use of
packaging materials used. And for sellers and distributors, product shelf lifes
information is important for stock handling product.
One way to determine the shelf-life of food products can be done by storage
product in storage conditions and measure the actual time savings products.
This will give us the most accurate estimates of time, but requires a lot of time and
great cost. Difficulties often faced by industry in determining the shelf life is time,
because for producers this can inhibit the release of the product. Therefore we need
ways to predict product shelf life fast, cheap, easy and close to the actual shelf life.
One way that can be used is Arrhenius equation. Arrhenius equation is widely
used to predict the shelf life of products where the product is easily damaged due to
chemical reactions such as lipid oxidation, Maillard reaction, and protein
denaturation. Shelf life of food products is usually determined by using this equation
is the food cans, milk UHT, powdered milk or formula milk, snacks, fruit juices,
instant noodles, frozen meat and food products containing high fat or sugar reduces or
protein.

Because the chemical reaction in general is influenced by temperature, the
Arrhenius model simulates the acceleration of product defects on the storage
conditions of high temperature above normal storage temperature. The rates of
chemical reactions that can lead to damage to food products generally follow the
order of reaction 0 or 1. Which include reaction order 0 are enzymatic degradation,
such as fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen foods product, non-enzymatic browning,
such as dry seeds, dry milk products and reduced nutritional value protein, and
oxidation of fats, such as increasing rancidity on snacks, dry foods and frozen
products. While the damage of food included in the reaction order 1 are rancidity in
salad oil, and dried vegetables, growth of microorganisms in meat and fish and
microorganisms death because heat treatment, off flavor production by microbes,
destruction of vitamins in canned food and dry food, loss of protein quality of dry
food.
In reaction order 0, rate of change expressed as follows:
k
dt
dA

z
, with integrating both sides obtained: A=A
0
=k
z
t or A
e
=A
0
-k
z
t
s

In the reaction order 1, the percentage loss per-day shelf life is constant at constant
temperature. The first reaction order, with a decrease exponentially so rate of change
expressed as follows:
k
dt
dA

f
A, with integrating obtained: ln A=ln A
0
-K
f
t or ln A
e
=ln A
0
-K
f
t
s
with A
0
= value of initial quality
A = the quality of the remaining value later
A
e
= the value of A in end of shelf life
t
s
= shelf life, in days, months, years, etc.
K
f
= reaction constant in reaction order 1
Arrhenius equation used on several assumptions, among others, changes in the
quality factor is determined only by one reaction, no other factors that cause changes
in quality, and temperature during storage is considered constant. Therefore there will
be conditions which will result in the diversion.
1. With increasing temperature phase change can happen, for example, solid fats to
liquid fats. Reactants are not anymore in the solid phase. Because of that shelf life at
lower temperatures result is lower than the true value.
2. Water binding occurs in the dry product, depending on temperature, this will result
in higher water activity with increasing temperature at constant water content.
Increasing in water activity will increase the reaction rate constant value.
3. If the product is not stored on impermeable bags or containers total, storage
products at high temperature in the drying cabinet will accelerate the loss of water
content. This will lead to the degradation rate is lower than the level of permanent