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Can a better understanding of food microbiota help us make smarter shelf-life decisions?

A new scientific article developed within the MICROORC project explores this question through a year-long study of modified atmosphere-packed chicken breast fillets from two European producers in Norway and Portugal.

Published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology, the open-access article, “Microbial variation and shelf life of chicken breast fillets: A year-long study across two European producers”, brings together researchers from Nofima – Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research and Universidade Católica Portuguesa, alongside the poultry producers Norsk Kylling and Lusiaves.

The results show that initial microbial counts alone were not a reliable predictor of batch-specific shelf life. Instead, early microbial growth dynamics and production-day variation could provide more useful information for future data-driven shelf-life approaches. The study also found that higher storage temperatures accelerated both microbial growth and sensory deterioration.

These findings contribute to MICROORC’s work towards a better understanding of food microbiomes and their potential to support food quality, more informed shelf-life management and reduced food waste.

Read the open-access article: Microbial variation and shelf life of chicken breast fillets: A year-long study across two European producers.