Shelf life study

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Shelf life study

As a producer of food, you must have a substantiation for the shelf life of the products you sell. It is therefore important to know how long your product can be kept. To determine the shelf life, we conduct a shelf life study. We will then examine your product for microbiological and organoleptic parameters. Based on the results, we will give you advice about the shelf life of the product under investigation. Would you rather know if it is possible to extend the shelf life? We can also give you advice on that.

Shelf life study – a summary

  • Substantiate the shelf life of your food
  • Comply with the legal requirements
  • Perform a challenge test or predictive microbiology

Why research shelf life?

It is required by law to indicate a best-before date on prepackaged foods. The expiry date gives consumers the assurance that up to that date, the product has its normal quality properties (normal colour, odour, consistency and taste), is not spoiled and is not a health hazard. A shelf life study gives you all this information, so that you can offer a qualitatively safe and good product to the consumer.

Various studies to test the shelf life

A shelf life study can focus on safety (for example Listeria monocytogenes), and on the spoilage of a food (for example, total bacterial count). Different types of research are therefore possible:

  • A challenge test: In a challenge test, we will contaminate your product with a known concentration of a micro-organism. We will then monitor its growth during the shelf life of the product.
  • Predictive microbiology: This is the application of predictive models in which we calculate, among other things, the potential growth rate of micro-organisms. In this modeling, we include various product and process parameters to estimate shelf life.
  • Effects of different variables: An investigation of the effect of various variables such as temperature to control the behaviour of the product. It is also possible to compare various process techniques.

Have a shelf life study carried out

Do you want to comply with the legal obligation and have the shelf life of your product tested? Have a shelf life test carried out with us. Send your details and we will contact you!

Have a shelf life study carried out

Please contact us