OzScientific carries out shelf life analysis of liquid as well as powder products. Products are stored at temperature-controlled incubators and analysed periodically until quality or safety deteriorates. Shelf life analysis is carried out under normal and accelerated storage conditions. OzScientific recommends that for a new product shelf life should be carried out using both conditions at least once to establish correlation between the two conditions. Subsequently, an accelerated shelf life analysis may be adequate that product.
Normal shelf life: In this case products are stored at an optimum temperature (e.g. 4°C, 20°C or room temperature) and samples analysed periodically
Accelerated shelf life: In this case samples are stored at a higher temperature (e.g. 45°C or 60°C) to accelerate deterioration and samples are analysed periodically.
Quality attributes: Depending on the type of product, the key quality attributes analysed are: colour, moisture, water activity, particle size distribution, viscosity/rheology, heat stability, sedimentation, gelation, taste, flavour etc.
Safety attributes: Depending on the type of product, the key safety attributes analysed are: total and pathogenic bacterial counts etc.
OzScientific can also carry out shelf life analysis under controlled humidity and temperature conditions and also determine moisture sorption isotherms for powders