Extended Shelf Life (ESL) Food Certification
Chilled packaged foods with extended shelf life (ESL) are refrigerated products designed to remain safe and of acceptable quality beyond five days. Because ESL processes such as mild heat treatment, high pressure processing, modified atmosphere packaging, or preservatives, do not achieve full commercial sterility, stringent food safety controls are essential.
While refrigeration slows microbial growth, psychrotrophic hazards such as Listeria monocytogenes and non proteolytic Clostridium botulinum can survive and grow near 4 °C under permissive conditions. Robust systems and independent verification are therefore critical to ensuring consumer safety and regulatory compliance.
Reference Standard and Scope
ACS Canada’s ESL Certification program aligns with the Codex Code of Hygienic Practice for Refrigerated Packaged Foods with Extended Shelf Life (CAC/RCP 46). Audits and evaluations include formulation parameters (pH, water activity), packaging integrity, process lethality, cold chain management, sanitation controls, environmental monitoring, and documented shelf-life validation studies.
How Certification Works
- On-site audit: Review of prerequisite programs, HACCP plan, sanitation, environmental monitoring, and cold storage management.
- Sampling; verification: Product and environmental samples collected under controlled conditions.
- Accredited testing: Analyses performed by ISO/IEC 17025 laboratories recognized under the ILAC MRA to ensure international reliability.
- Decision; surveillance: Certification is granted once microbiological and hygiene criteria are fully met; periodic surveillance confirms ongoing compliance.
Benefits of ACS Canada ESL Certification
- International recognition aligned with Codex hygiene standards for ESL foods
- Verified product safety through accredited laboratory testing
- Market advantage through demonstrated hygiene and validated shelf life claims
- Stronger trust among retailers, regulators, and consumers through third party oversight
Get Started
Share your product list, process flow, HACCP plan, validation data (e.g., challenge studies, stability tests), and environmental monitoring program to receive a customized ESL certification plan.
