Shelf-Life Testing

Perform shelf-life testing after you’ve settled on your recipe and packaging. Since the formula, production, and packaging can impact shelf-life, test when these elements are unlikely to change. If you later change any component, like an ingredient or packaging, retest to ensure the shelf-life is still accurate for the new version of your product.

Yes, with a few exceptions. Usually, each SKU contains different ingredients or is made with different formulas, and different formulas can cause shelf-life to vary significantly. Therefore, each SKU in your lineup should be tested separately.

After consultation with a food scientist, you’ll determine the right number of samples to send us. The product is then stored under pre-determined conditions depending on the type of testing. At set times, a team of food scientists evaluates the sensory qualities of an aged sample against a fresh or preserved control sample and tracks various chemical and organoleptic attributes over time.

The quoted prices cover safety tests like pH and water activity at each test interval where necessary, though not all products require these tests. They are included at no extra cost when needed, Microbiological testing is not currently a service we offer at CSU Spur. If you require challenge testing or any other type of microbiological analysis, we refer you to the following labs who can perform this service:

• Microbac (https://www.microbac.com/food) 
• Eurofins (https://www.eurofinsus.com/food-testing/)
• Alliance Analytical (https://aatestlabs.com/)
• Midwest Laboratories (https://midwestlabs.com/food-ingredient)
• Murray Brown laboratories (https://www.mb-labs.com/)
• Medallion labs (https://www.medallionlabs.com/)
• RL Food Testing Laboratories (https://www.rlfoodtestinglaboratory.com/)

• Real-time shelf-life testing (RTSLT) monitors how long your product stays good under the product’s normal storage conditions, and the time required for the test is the same as the product’s shelf-life. This testing is often used for refrigerated and frozen goods but is also suitable for some shelf-stable products that are not candidates for Accelerated testing.  

• Accelerated shelf-life testing (ASLT) uses high temperatures to speed up chemical reactions associated with aging. Typically, one to two weeks in accelerated conditions equals one month of normal aging. Food scientists apply a formula to predict the product’s actual shelf-life under normal storage. ASLT can be used for many types of shelf-stable foods. 

• Combined ASLT/RTSLT Testing offers the best mix of fast and reliable shelf-life data. If you start both tests at the asme time, you can get rapid turnaround on an estimate of shelf-life with ASLT without losing time on RTSLT, which will eventually provide are more accurate shelf-life measurement. This type of combined testing is ideal for products with an estimated shelf-life of over two years or more. And, since there’s an overlap in testing procedures and timing, we offer a discounted rate for the combined service. 

• Abuse Testing measures how resilient a product is to mishandling or poor storage. For example, ice cream is repeatedly thawed for serving and then refrozen to store again. How many freeze-thaw cycles can it withstand before the taste, texture, or appearance deteriorates? Abuse testing is crucial to determining recommended package size and consumer handling instructions.

Exact numbers and testing plans will be finalized with a food scientist before testing begins. A good rule of thumb is to take your optimistic estimated shelf life (e.g. 3 months) multiplied by the testing frequency (e.g. 4, for 4 x per month, or weekly tests), multiplied by 2, so that at each testing interval the panel has both an aged and a control sample. In the example above, we would arrive at 24 samples required (3 x 4 x 2 = 24).

For shelf-life testing, send your products as they’ll be sold, with the final recipe included and the production date marked. Ensure consistency in production and clearly name the product if multiple types or SKUs are tested. Transport them as they would be stored. Don’t worry if the label isn’t final, as long as the product is named and dated. If your product comes in different sizes but the same packaging type, just send one size for testing. Different packaging materials should be tested separately.

• Usually between $200 and $2500. The factors that determine the cost are: 

• The testing frequency 

• The length of the test (shelf-life, or expected shelf-life, of the product) 

• How the product must be stored or prepared for tasting 

• Whether you use Real-Time vs. Accelerated testing

No. You will only be charged for the testing intervals that we actually test the product. If the product fails before its expected shelf-life, and we have samples left over that were not tested, you will not be charged for these untested intervals. The price that I quote you is the maximum price if the product survives its entire projected shelf-life. If you are charged a different amount, it will always be less than this quoted price, in the event that the product fails earlier.

Once the service is complete and we have sent you a final report, our admin expert will send you an invoice. We request that you pay your invoice within 30 days using the “Pay an Invoice” button at the top of this page. If a payment is not made within 30 days, our admin expert will follow up with you.