Shelf Life Testing

Description of Shelf Life Testing: 

Shelf-life testing can be described as the time the product lasts in storage before it becomes unsuitable for consumption or use. We require information about the product and its intended use to determine what tests need to be done on the product. This will help our customers take the appropriate steps to reach their product goals. 

Example Products: 

For shelf life, we test a variety of products. Some common products we test are salsas, dips, sauces, juices, protein bars, and nuts.  

Pricing of Shelf Life Testing: 

(# of samples or batches) X (# of time points) X (# of tests requested) + 18% administrative fee added to total

Example Pricing: 

For example, if a company needs to test one salsa sample for shelf life, we typically test for aerobic plate counts (APC) ($25), coliforms ($35), yeasts and molds ($25), pH ($20) and water activity ($40) on Days 0, 7 and 14.

Then the cost will be 3 (time points) X $(25 + 35 + 25 + 20 + 40) = $435+ ($250 for data analysis and report time fees) = $685, then an additional 18% administrative fee charged by the university.