Shelf life Testing
ShelfLife Testing
Shelflife Testing
What is Shelf-Life Testing?
Shelf-Life testing is a scientifically validated method to validate the product within the period when it is edible, palatable, nutritious, and of high quality under certain storage conditions. The test focuses on the microbiological, physiochemical, sensory, nutritional, and packaging stability of the product to assist in setting the correct best-before or use-by dates. It supports compliance with regulatory requirements, ensures consumer satisfaction, prevents spoilage of products, ensures consistency, minimises commercial risks, build customer trust and improves your product performance.What We Do
Food Research Lab collaborates with manufacturers to create scientifically proven shelf-life programs to ensure the development, safety, and successful launch of your products. The team at FRL will help you design customized stability studies, conduct performance evaluation of product and packaging, collect reliable shelf-life data, and provide necessary technical information to ensure products remain safe, stable, and compliant throughout their lifecycle.
- Develop tailored real-time and accelerated shelf-life study protocols based on product formulation, packaging, storage conditions, target market, and regulatory requirements.
- Evaluate product formulations to understand how ingredients influence microbiological, physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory stability throughout the product lifecycle.
- Assess packaging compatibility and optimize storage conditions to maintain product quality, safety, and stability during storage and distribution.
- Investigate product stability challenges, identify the causes of quality deterioration, and establish scientifically supported best-before or use-by dates.
- Prepare technical reports, stability summaries, and analytical documentation while ensuring compliance with applicable regulatory standards and industry requirements.
- Provide validated shelf-life data and technical guidance to help manufacturers successfully transition products from development to commercial launch.
With the help of our R&D strategy, the manufacturers can minimize the risks of failure, optimize product formulation and packing, meet the regulatory requirements and successfully launch their products on the market with proven shelf-life claim and high-quality.
Our Shelf-Life Testing Capabilities
At Food Research Lab, we leverage our scientific expertise along with cutting-edge technology to test for product stability throughout its lifecycle. Our comprehensive testing capabilities generate reliable data that supports shelf-life determination, quality assurance, packaging validation, and regulatory compliance.Microbiological Evaluation
- Total Plate Count
- Yeast & Mold
- Pathogen Analysis
Physicochemical Evaluation
- pH
- Moisture
- Water Activity
- Texture
- Color
- Viscosity
Sensory Evaluation
- Taste
- Aroma
- Appearance
- Texture
Nutritional & Functional Analysis
- Nutrient Retention
- Active Ingredient Stability
Packaging & Storage Evaluation
- Packaging Integrity
- Storage Condition Studies
- Accelerated & Real-Time Shelf-Life Studies
Data Interpretation & Reporting
- Shelf-Life Prediction
- Technical Reports
- Regulatory Documentation
Services We Offer
Explore our integrated R&D and commercialization services that provide complete assistance to help your product move forward in its development process from its discovery to successful market launch.
| Service | Description |
| Discovery & Intelligence | Gain scientific, regulatory, ingredient, and market intelligence to assist in making informed decisions about product development and business operations. |
| New Product Development | Transforming innovative ideas into a market-ready product by offering formulation, process optimization, validation, and commercialization support. |
| Reverse Engineering | Analyze existing products to understand their formulation, functionality, and performance for product improvement or competitive benchmarking. |
| Contract Manufacturing | Scale up product development from pilot batches to commercial production through manufacturing and quality focused production assistance. |
| Clinical Trial Management | Conduct scientific research to establish the safety and efficacy of your products through clinical study design and management. |
| Scientific Media Marketing | Develop science-backed marketing content, technical communication, and educational materials that effectively communicate product benefits and research outcomes. |
Industries We Support
Food Research Laboratory (FRL) is offering wide range of shelf-life testing services in different industries to help manufacturers on their product safety, stability, quality and regulatory compliance throughout the product lifecycle.
Food Industry
Beverage Industry
Nutraceutical Industry
Herbal Industry
Cosmeceutical Industry
Animal Pet Food Industry
Functional Food and Beverage
Shelf-Life Testing Timeline & Cost
Every product has unique shelf-life requirements, the schedule and cost of shelf-life testing will depend on the formulation, packaging, storage conditions, testing parameters and regulatory requirements.Initial Consultation &
Study Design
Accelerated
Shelf-Life Testing
and study objectives
Real-Time
Shelf-Life Testing
product shelf life
Technical Report &
Recommendations
completion of the study
COST OF SHELF-LIFE TESTING
requirements
NEED A CUSTOMIZED SHELF-LIFE TESTING PLAN?
Validated
Testing Labs
Compliant
Support
How Our Shelf-Life Testing Process
At Food Research Lab, we follow a systematic shelf-life testing is based on a scientific process for identifying the stability, safety and quality of products during its shelf life.Product Assessment & Study Design
We conduct a review of the product formulation, composition of ingredients, packaging, storage conditions, and intended market to design an appropriate shelf-life testing process.
Sample Preparation & Storage
Product samples are prepared and stored in specific real-time and/or accelerated storage environment conditions like temperature, humidity and light exposure.
Periodic Sampling
Samples are collected periodically based on predetermined intervals throughout the study period.
Laboratory Testing
Each sample undergoes comprehensive analysis, including:
- Microbiological analysis
- Physicochemical analysis
- Nutritional stability assessment
- Sensory analysis
- Evaluation of packaging
Data Analysis & Shelf-Life Determination
Analysis of the test results, identification of quality changes, establishment of product stability and definition of shelf-life/best before date are made.
Technical Reporting & Regulatory Support
A detailed technical report is prepared, including testing methodology, analytical results, shelf-life conclusions, and documentation to support regulatory compliance and commercialization.
Why Choose Food Research Lab?
Food Research Lab delivers scientifically validated shelf-life testing solutions that help manufacturers ensure product quality, regulatory compliance, and successful commercialization.
- Scientifically Validated Studies: Real-time and accelerated shelf-life studies using validated methods.
- Comprehensive Stability Evaluation: Microbiological, physicochemical, nutritional, sensory, and packaging assessments.
- Regulatory Compliance: Support for FSSAI, FDA, EFSA, Codex Alimentarius, and other applicable standards.
- Customized R&D Solutions: Tailored testing strategies based on product and market requirements.
- Commercialization Support: Shelf-life validation, technical documentation, and regulatory guidance.
Frequently asked questions about shelf life research
A shelf life study can focus on food safety (for example, Listeria monocytogenes) or on spoilage (such as total plate count). Depending on your product and situation, we perform different types of investigations.Shelf-life testing is the scientific procedure for determining the period when a product will be considered safe, stable, and of acceptable quality at certain conditions of its storage. Shelf-life testing allows establishing scientifically based best-before or use-by dates while maintaining product quality and regulatory compliance.
It all depends on the type of study. Real-Time shelf-life testing usually takes several weeks to months whereas Accelerated shelf-life testing gives the prediction of shelf life in a relatively short period of time under controlled conditions.
The cost of shelf-life testing depends on several factors such as the type of the product, testing time, analytical parameters, packaging, storage conditions, and others. Food Research Lab creates individual testing programs according to your specific project needs.
The best-before or use-by dates are determined depending on the results of microbiological, physicochemical, sensory, nutritional and packaging stability studies during the product's storage period under defined conditions.
Yes. Food Research Lab designs customized shelf-life testing protocols based on product formulation, packaging, storage conditions, intended market, and applicable regulatory requirements to meet each client's specific objectives.
Yes. FRL provides comprehensive technical reports that include testing methodology, analytical results, shelf-life conclusions, stability observations, and supporting documentation for regulatory and commercial purposes.
Let’s create something Innovative and Delicious together
Food Research Lab strives for excellence in new Food, Beverage and Nutraceutical Product Research and Development by offering cutting edge scientific analysis and expertise.
