Food Shelf life Testing

Food manufacturers need to accurately determine the "use by" or "best before" dates for their products in order to meet strict regulations and to keep their brand and consumers safe. Shelf life testing of products claims must be backed by reliable data in order to meet the requirements of FSSAI. Eurofins provides accurate and reliable shelf life testing, the protocols and summaries provided by Eurofins can help to back your shelf-life claims with the data required by FSSAI and help to reduce the risk of product recalls, and manage inventory in the warehouse and sales channels.

Using state-of-the-art stability chambers our shelf life testing ensures that products are kept at specific temperatures and humidity levels throughout the duration of the study.

Important Components to Shelf-life Testing:

1. Organoleptic and Appearance

Organoleptic testing includes color, texture, aroma, packaging, separation, stratification, and taste which are of high importance to a consumer when selecting a product.

2. Microbiology Analysis

Aerobic Plate Count
Clostridium perfringens
Yeast
Mold
Total Coliforms and E. coli
Mesophillic and Thermophillic Sporeformers
Salmonella
Lactic Acid Bacteria
Alicyclobacillus
Staphylococcus aureus

3. Rancidity (Degradation of fats & oils)

Rancidity testing determines the level of oxidation in a sample. When a lipid goes rancid, its value as a foodstuff is compromised and it will take on a foul or stale flavor. Proper rancidity testing is essential in determining the shelf life of the product.

Eurofins offers the following rancidity testing:

Peroxide Value (PV) testing determines the amount of oxidation in a lipid sample. Peroxides are the first indicator that lipid is oxidizing.

p-Anisidine (p-AV) testing determines the amount of aldehydes in a lipid sample. This test is often paired with PV, as aldehydes are the secondary indicator of lipid oxidation.

Free Fatty Acids (FFA) testing determines the amount of fatty acids that have been liberated from their triglyceride structure. This reaction causes a lipid to become slightly acidic.

4. Ingredient Activity (Degradation of botanicals, and other unstable compounds, as well as loss or gain of moisture)

Ensuring that the bioactive ingredients in your product are shelf stable throughout their life and meet label claims until the date of expiry is of utmost importance. Eurofins can analyze a number of bioactive ingredients like Vitamins, EPA, DHA, Chondroitin, Glucosamine, Phytosterols, Amino acids, Minerals, Sulfites, Caffeine and others to determine if there is degradation over time.

Relevant products:

Packaged and Frozen Foods
Produce and Juices
Dairy Products
Nutritional supplements
Confectionary

Eurofins offers six standard conditions for shelf life testing:

Frozen (-15°C to -20°C )
Refrigerated (2°C to 8°C )
Ambient (25°C/60%RH)
Intermediate (30°C/65%RH)
Accelerated (40°C/75%RH)
Tropical (30°C/75%RH)

Other conditions may also be accommodated upon request.

The Eurofins Advantage

• Competence Centres with state-of-the-art equipment such as high-resolution GC, HPLCs, GCMSMS, FTIR, ELISA, HR-MS, GC-MS, HPLC, LC-MS/MS, ICP-MS, Real-time PCR and NMR systems
• Fast turn-around time (TAT)
• Local contact with a Global Network
• Participation in industry associations and regulatory bodies allowing early advice on potential food scares and legal obligations
• Expert advice - testing schemes, on-site-check for hygiene and allergens, labelling advice and traceability
• Results you can rely on
• International presence­
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