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Leading in Shelf Life Studies

Lab test
Foodcare

Shelf life study

As a food manufacturer, you need to have a rationale for the shelf life of the products you sell. It is therefore important to know how long your product has a shelf life. To determine shelf life, we perform a shelf life study. Here, we examine your product for microbiological and organoleptic parameters. Based on the results, we give advice on the shelf life of the examined product. Would you prefer to know whether it is possible to extend shelf life? We are happy to advise you on this too.

Shelf life study – a summary

  • Substantiate the shelf life of your food

  • Comply with the legal requirements

  • Perform a challenge test or predictive microbiology

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Why research shelf life?

It is a legal requirement to indicate a best-before date on pre-packaged food products. The best-before date assures consumers that until that date the product has its normal quality properties (normal in colour, smell, consistency and taste), has not spoiled and is not a health hazard. A best-before date test provides you with all this information so that you can offer a high-quality, safe product to consumers.

Various studies to test the shelf life

A shelf life study can focus on safety (such as Listeria monocytogenes) and on the spoilage of a food (for example, total bacterial count). Different types of research are therefore possible:

  • A challenge test

    In a challenge test, we will contaminate your product with a known concentration of a micro-organism. We will then monitor its growth during the shelf life of the product.

  • Predictive microbiology This is the application of predictive models in which we calculate, among other things, the potential growth rate of microorganisms. In this modelling, we include various product and process parameters to estimate shelf life.

  • Effects of different variables An investigation of the effect of various variables, such as temperature to control the behaviour of the product. It is also possible to compare various process techniques.

Have a shelf life study carried out

Do you want to comply with the legal obligation and have the shelf life of your product tested? Have a shelf life test carried out with us. Please share your details, and we will get in touch soon.

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Leading companies in this service

Normec Foodcontrol

Wetteren Belgium

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Normec Foodcontrol offers specialized inspection and control solutions for every link in the food production chain. Two large laboratories are located in Wetteren: a microbiological laboratory for bacteriological investigations and a chemical laboratory for the analysis of nutritional values, allergens and other chemical components. In our laboratory, we combine practice with precision to guarantee the quality of products from the beginning of the chain.
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Normec Robalab

Deurne Netherlands

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Deurne is home to Normec Robalab, a laboratory that specializes in research for the agribusiness sector. We have strong agricultural roots and over the years have grown into a versatile lab that not only researches agricultural, but also feed and food products. In our lab, we combine practice with precision to ensure product quality from the beginning of the chain.
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Normec Foodlab

Woerden Netherlands

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At Normec Foodlab, we perform in-depth microbiological analyses to ensure the safety and quality of food products. Our microbiology laboratory is an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory and performs microbiological analyses for customers from all industries within the food industry. We distinguish ourselves through our many years of experience and expertise. Customer orientation is of paramount importance to us. This is reflected in our personal, tailored approach and reliable research results.
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Do you want to create a safe and healthy working and living environment?

Normec tests, inspects and certifies, enabling organisations to innovate safely, quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively.
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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

It is legally required to state an expiry date on pre-packaged foods. A shelf-life study provides the scientific foundation for this date by testing microbiological and organoleptic parameters. This demonstrates that your product is safe and maintains its normal quality characteristics until the stated date.

We offer various studies: challenge tests where we contaminate your product with known microorganisms like Listeria monocytogenes, predictive microbiology using growth models, and research into variable effects such as temperature. We test for both safety and spoilage of food products.

Yes, besides determining the current shelf-life, we advise on possibilities to extend shelf-life.