Shelf Life Testing

Shelf life refers to the time period over which a food maintains its quality under specified conditions of distribution or storage. Shelf life is an important property of any food product, and is of particular interest for both producers and consumers. Majority of the food products will deteriorate after a certain period of storage due to microbiological and/or chemical activities. Therefore, it is the responsibility of manufacturers to accurately determine the use by or best before dates of their products in order to ensure the health and safety of their consumers. Usually, the “use by” date indicates the date after which a product is deemed unsafe (and cannot be sold or consumed); and the “best before” date shows the date after which the product’s quality may become unacceptable but without impacting on consumer’s health and safety.

Lifeasible is a reliable partner for shelf life testing of food products. We have established a full-fledged platform for the evaluation shelf life. Our food testing laboratories take a case-by-case approach to design tailored shelf-life studies according to the specific formulation and customer requirements. An optimal testing protocol considers a number of factors, including:

• Organoleptic parameters: Food appearance, color, odor, taste, packaging, etc.
• Microbiology parameters: Pathogens and spoilage organisms.
• Physical-chemical parameters: Food pH, viscosity, density, the degree of lipid oxidation, degradation of vitamins, loss or gain of moisture, etc.
• Storage conditions: Temperature, relative humidity, and gaseous atmosphere.

Lifeasible can ensure you have a full understanding of how a product changes over time, using food shelf life study in real-time condition or accelerated condition.

• Real-time shelf life testing. This test monitors the sensory, microbiological, physical and chemical parameters of a product which is stored at recommended storage conditions at regular intervals. This is a direct method that can be applied for testing products with a shorter shelf life.
• Accelerated shelf life testing. The accelerated trial typically involves storing products at high temperature, humidity, and light intensity or similar, which can increase the rate of chemical degradation or physical changes of a product. This is an indirect method which works the best for products with a longer shelf life.

With our experience, expertise and cutting-edge facilities, we can help manufacturers or other food producers determine the shelf life of a variety of food products, from highly perishable products (e.g., vegetables, fresh, refrigerated salsas, and oven-ready entrees) to shelf-stable, less perishable products (e.g., jerky, dried grains, pet treats, and processed goods). Our goal is to ensure the safety and quality of food products, reduce the risk of your product recalls, and ensure the safety of consumers. Given the complexity of factors that can contribute to the shelf life of food products, our experts will offer tailored and optimized solutions for shelf life testing. Welcome to contact us to discover how your business can benefit from our shelf life testing services.