Need a Shelf Life?
Not sure what to test for?
Above is a simple calculator that should always be part of the first steps for calculating a shelf life.
There is no point in testing for an organism that simply cannot grow in your food. This calculate uses three parameters – pH, water activity, and storage temperature, to eliminate the need to test for many organisms, or can guide you to formulate into a safe zone where bad bugs cannot grow.
The calculator is above is just one of the tools we use to design a shelf life testing protocol alongside safety validation testing.
Enter Your Food's Details Below and See What to Test For
360° Food Safety Solutions
Explore Our Areas of Expertise
Specifying Shelf Life Tests
Let us develop a testing regime for you that is focussed on the exact requirements of your food.
Interpretting Results
Got test results but don't know what they mean? Let us put your results under the microscope and explain in simple terms what it means.
Planning Ahead
Sometimes a shelf life estimate is just a starting point. Plan to maximise the commercial potential of your product through shelf life extension techniques
Shelf Life Extension
Need help extending your shelf life? Our knowledge and experience of food microbiology, chemistry and packaging allows us to get the most out of your product.
Our team
Meet the people who get the job done
Phill Dromgool
Principal Consultant
Flo Tesiorna
Food Scientist
Important Things You Should Know
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Shelf life is determined by assessing factors such as pH, water activity, ingredients, processing, and storage conditions. In many cases, a structured assessment can identify what testing is actually required before committing to laboratory work.
The required tests depend on the product. These may include microbiological testing, water activity testing, pH measurement, or storage trials. Many products require fewer tests than initially expected.
Costs vary depending on the type and number of tests required. A targeted approach can significantly reduce costs compared to broad, unnecessary testing.
Frozen products are generally lower risk from a microbial growth perspective, but shelf life still needs to be validated for quality and stability over time.
Not always. Some products can be assessed using known scientific principles and product characteristics. However, higher-risk products may require laboratory testing to confirm safety and stability.
Each question and answer are an item in a Toggle Widget. Change the number of items and customize their content in the editor panel.
Accelerated testing can be useful in some cases, but it must be applied carefully. Results can differ from real-time storage, so it is not always suitable for every product.
pH measures the acidity of a product. Lower pH levels can inhibit microbial growth and extend shelf life, making it a key factor in many shelf life assessments.
Testing for Safety
Safety Validation
Safety validation and shelf life testing are not always the same thing, and understanding this important concept is fundamental to designing testing protocols.
We can separate out the safety issues from shelf life issues, and quality issues, and come up with an efficient testing protocol that can be implemented.
01
Intrinsic Properties
Find out the two most important intrinsic properties of your food - pH/acidity and water activity (aw)
02
Choose Tests
Use the free calculator to narrow down what to test for.
03
Get Tested
Only test what you need to test for.
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