Shelf-Life Studies Evaluation

Scientific shelf-life studies to evaluate product stability, quality, and safety throughout its lifecycle.

What is Shelf-life study?

The information about the shelf life of food products is essential for both manufactures and consumers. The Shelf life evaluation or optimization studies help in providing this key piece of information. The main inspiration behind conducting these studies on food products is undeniably the safety of consumers. The evaluation of a food product’s shelf life essentially means to find out the optimum time-period within which the product is edible or safe to consume.

These studies also lay out the time period within which the qualitative properties which are the physical, chemical, and sensorial features, of a food item are retained satisfactorily. To put it simply, these studies will give the consumers the “Best before Date” for the consumption of food items that are lying in their shelves.

Importance of Shelf-Life Studies Evaluation of Food Product

The food products we consume are essentially perishable by their intrinsic nature. To add on top of that the extreme environmental conditions such as temperature, oxygen, light, and even humidity, to which they are subjected in order to prolong their edibility. This processing and storage of food products cause numerous changes in them. The storage conditions to which they are exposed are known to adversely impact their quality attributes.

But when food is stored for a certain extended period of time these attributes are Shelf Life Studies altered to an extent that the product is no longer appropriate for consumption. And that is exactly why we need to conduct Shelf-Life evaluation studies of food products.

These tests are a safety net for consumers who can stay informed about the period until which a food product is suitable for consumption. Once the food has reached its shelf life the consumer knows that the item is no longer safe. Shelf-life studies are also essential for food item’s manufacturers because the shelf-life instructs the speed of distribution and transportation they must implement so that their product can reach the consumers at its highest qualitative state.

Types of Shelf Life Studies

1. Standard Shelf Life Studies

The information about the shelf life of food products is essential for both manufactures and consumers. The Shelf life evaluation or optimization studies help in providing this key piece of information. The main inspiration behind conducting these studies on food products is undeniably the safety of consumers. The evaluation of a food product’s shelf life essentially means to find out the optimum time-period within which the product is edible or safe to consume.

2. Accelerated Shelf Life Studies

In an Accelerated Shelf-life study, the shelf-life of a food product is decided by employing accelerated factors. The food item is subjected to increased temperature, or light, or humidity, and the increase in the rate of deterioration is used to gauge the real-time shelf life of the product. The data that is obtained by subjecting the product to these accelerated factors is substituted in a predictive mathematical model. This model illustrates the spoilage rate and the bacterial growth rate in the product, under normal circumstances. To be able to effectively implement this study model and correctly interpret the data, the researchers need to be adept in the specific formulation and the properties of the food. This study model is usually implemented for food items that have a longer shelf life.

Why Choose Anacon for Shelf life studies?

Anacon Laboratories is dedicated to bringing the most authentic shelf life date, to the consumers as well as the manufactures of various food products. Motivated by this mission we have designed rigorous shelf-life design programs that include both standard and accelerated shelf-life studies. We evaluate the shelf-life of a product by rigorously implementing the following methods.