Most perishable foods sold commercially in the United States undergo analytical testing to determine the life expectancy or “shelf life” of a product under normal storage conditions before excessive deterioration occurs. While not a mandatory requirement, determining shelf life is valuable for vendors to establish a time frame in which to safely sell their products. Similarly, providing consumers with an expiration date ensures that a product unfit for human consumption is not unintendedly ingested.

On Day 0 of our studies, our shelf life testing lab examines the product for Salmonella, Listeria, and Coliforms (E. coli). If the product fails any of these tests, the rest of the shelf life study is discontinued.

Depending on the product and its expected viability, Anresco will recommend a proposed schedule (e.g. 7 days, 14 days, 21 days, etc.). This schedule may be altered by our Microbiology Department if they visualize noticeable changes to the product during the study. If the product fails at any point in time, all future scheduled testing dates are discontinued and not charged for.

If you would like a formalized testing proposal and quote, please complete our shelf life study questionnaire at the link below and we will get back to you as soon as we can.