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Hi, I'm Beth from RL Food Testing. Are you planning to sell your product in a retail
environment? Then you should consider shelf life testing. Most retailers will require
a valid shelf life to be printed clearly on your label.
So what is shelf life, as it pertains to foods? And how do you determine the shelf life for
your product? Shelf life is basically the amount of time
a food or beverage is given until it is considered unsuitable for sale or consumption.
To determine shelf life, you need to submit your food product for testing at a lab, where
your samples are placed in a real world environment, whether that is shelf-stable conditions or
refrigerated temperatures; and tested to determine bacteria counts, pH levels, water activity,
and any microorganisms. Now depending on your food product and ingredients,
we'll determine which micro-organisms to test for, whether it is salmonella, e. coli, or
listeria... You will need to submit six separate samples
to our lab, shipped overnight or 2-Day air via FedEx or UPS. If your product is refrigerated,
then please include sufficient amount of cold packs to keep it cool, and no glass containers,
please. We will email you a form. Please fill out
the form, print it and include it in with your samples.
You will need to specify the duration for testing; this is usually based on your shelf
life expectancy. We will also need to know the conditions for which testing should be
held, whether the temperature is refrigerated temperatures or shelf-stable.
Then make your payment on our secure website. Your turnaround time will be based largely
on your shelf life expectancy. We will keep you updated as to the progress
of your shelf life by sending you a report at the end of each testing point.
We can also make recommendations on how to extend shelf life by adding certain preservatives.
One of the extra services that sets us apart, is the free detailed lab report, which we
include at no extra charge. Our staff microbiologist takes the scientific jargon and demystifies
it, putting it in easy to understand words. So, if you have any questions or are ready
to place your order, just give us a call or email us. We are standing by 7 days a week.
Thank you.