Shelf-Life and Challenge Studies
At Q Laboratories, we provide a full suite of studies designed to assess the stability, safety, and performance of your products throughout their lifecycle. From establishing shelf-life and validating preservative systems, to designing custom protocols, our team delivers scientifically rigorous, regulatory-compliant data you can trust.
Whether you arrive with a complete study design or need help building one from the ground up, our scientists work closely with you to ensure each study is tailored to your product, your objectives, and your regulatory requirements.
Shelf-Life Determination
Understanding a product’s shelf-life is essential for establishing “best if used by,” “use by,” and expiration dates. These studies also provide valuable insight during Research & Development, helping to determine packaging, storage conditions, preservative systems, and formulation.
Q Laboratories can design and execute a shelf-life study to meet your needs:
- Client-Specified Studies: If you already know your parameters, we’ll follow them precisely.
- Collaborative Study Design: If you need help, our analysts will assist in defining critical factors, including:
- Storage temperatures
- Testing time-points
- Analytical and microbiological tests to be performed
- Anticipated product shelf-life
We accommodate multiple storage temperatures, including ambient, refrigerated, and frozen conditions. Accelerated shelf-life studies may also be possible, providing faster data by storing products at elevated temperatures. (Note: regulatory requirements mandate that accelerated studies are supported by real-time confirmation.)
Microbiological Challenge Studies
Microbiological challenge testing evaluates how a product supports the growth of spoilage organisms or pathogens and validates processes designed to reduce or eliminate microbial risks.
An effective study design considers storage conditions, inoculated organisms, and test intervals. The data provides insights into:
- Effectiveness of preservative systems
- Validation of processing protocols
- Optimum storage conditions and packaging design
- Comparative performance of product formulations under microbial stress
Our Microbiology R&D Team has extensive experience designing challenge studies based on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) guidelines. Whether you bring us a full study plan, no parameters at all, or anything in between, we’ll help you design and execute a study that delivers usable, reliable data.
Customized Studies
No two products are the same—which is why our studies are never one-size-fits-all. We offer customized study designs that balance scientific rigor with practical application, helping you make confident decisions about shelf-life, safety, quality, and market readiness.
Which Study Do You Need?
| Study Type | Purpose | Key Insights Provided | Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelf-Life Determination | Establish expiration, “best by,” or “use by” dates. | Packaging suitability, storage conditions, preservative effectiveness, product formulation. | R&D, labeling compliance, market readiness. | |
| Microbiological Challenge Study | Assess microbial growth potential and validate preservative/process controls. | Preservative effectiveness, processing protocol validation, packaging/storage optimization. | Foods, beverages, cosmetics, or personal care products sensitive to microbes. |
