Question

WHy does a lower pH increase shelf life?

Answer 1

Lower pH means acidic nature.

Acidic foods (pH < 3.8), and foods in which water activity remains low when sodium is removed are sufficiently thermally processed to kill pathogenic organisms and to ensure that the product has an adequate shelf life.

The SSO concept indicates a single group of microorganisms is responsible for product spoilage.Consequently, by reducing the growth of this perticular group of microorganisms shelf life should increase. That can be achieved by lowering the pH.