Formulating products with shelf stability in mind

Have you ever heard someone use the phrase, "Where the rubber meets the sky?"
Perhaps it's the social circles I reluctantly frequent, but I seem to confront this odd phrase several times a year. I've had the occasion to consider its meaning, and I have yet to construct a satisfactory answer.

Of course, it is derived from the the phrase relied upon annually in high school graduation speeches, "Where the rubber meets the road," which is easier to tease out. The rubber from tires touches a road. I suppose the phrase is further meant to suggest that if those tires are spinning then a vehicle connected to those them would propel in some direction. OK, fine. The rubber meets the road. The time has come to start your journey and move away from your current station.

But, "the rubber meets the sky?"

The context in which this phrase is used typically centers around endless possibility. You can go somewhere, but you don't necessarily need to take a road to get there. You can fly, but you'll need to take a vehicle with rubber tires nonetheless.

Oh well, it's applied with goodwill. And it's lousy with optimism. Unlike the other word that my suffocating close social group has recently latched on to: Pointle.

I can't bother you with that now.

And now, your weekly reduction. Articles and videos surrounding the subject of shelf stability as it pertains to the development and formulation of food and beverage products.

Oxidation destabilizes oil droplets in emulsified food, degrading and changing the chemical structure of the oil and causing it to go bad.

In food applications, cranberry products are used for color, flavor and texture. Their anthocyanins are stable during baking; they are process tolerant and retain piece identity well.

Most of the time, that is actually more challenging than throwing in the artificial color or flavor or stabilizing system.

The moisture loss from the substrate (whether a vegetable or meat) during frying influences the degree of oil absorption, with generally higher moisture losses associated with increased oil absorption.

A Technical/Solutions Presentation...
Protecting Your Products Against Oxidative Rancidity Using Mixed Tocopherols

A Technical/Solutions Presentation...
Shelf-Life Extension and Nutrition Ingredients

Find more articles about developing and formulating food and beverage products with shelf stability.