Food Science Calculations: Shelf Life, Q10, Water Activity & Microbial Growth
First-order quality loss from ln C vs time, shelf life to a quality limit, Q10 and accelerated shelf-life testing, the Arrhenius plot and activation energy, water activity from a sorption table, microbial growth with lag and doubling time, D, z and F0 thermal lethality, and a shelf-life report with a chart: 8 graded labs on one fictional food maker. Illustrative data, not food-safety guidance.
The first lesson is free — no account needed.
About this course
A food science calculations course that predicts the shelf life of products from one fictional food maker, Brightfield Foods, in a spreadsheet, for food science and technology students, QA and product development staff, and food engineers. You fit first-order vitamin C loss with ln C against time to get the rate constant, turn rate constants into a shelf life to a quality limit, calculate Q10 from an accelerated test at 35 and 50 °C and predict the shelf life at storage temperature, build an Arrhenius plot with the activation energy, look up water activity in a sorption table and find when the pack lets in enough moisture to soften crackers, model microbial growth with a lag phase and doubling time, check a canned soup's F0 value with D and z values, and chart a shelf-life report. Illustrative data, not food-safety guidance, so follow HACCP and local rules. The first lab is free.
Lessons
- First-Order Quality Loss: ln C vs Time, the Rate Constant k & Half-LifeFree
- Shelf Life to a Quality Limit: First vs Zero Order & the Limiting Attribute Pro
- Q10 & Accelerated Shelf-Life Testing: From 35/50 °C Tests to Storage Temperature Pro
- The Arrhenius Plot: ln k vs 1/T, Activation Energy & a Predicted Rate Pro
- Water Activity & Moisture: Sorption Table Lookup and a Packaging Shelf Life Pro
- Microbial Growth: Log Counts, Lag Phase, Doubling Time & Time to a Limit Pro
- Thermal Process Lethality: D and z Values, Lethal Rates, F0 & Log Reductions Pro
- Shelf-Life Report: Predicted Vitamin C at Three Storage Temperatures & a Chart Pro