When a new product is placed on the market or a new product that already exists is redesigned, it is necessary to know the duration that it will have, under the conditions defined by the manufacturer. This period will depend on: the chemical composition of the product, the packaging and processing system and the storage and marketing conditions. As a result, life studies provide information about how long a product can retain its characteristics and properties.
To evaluate the behavior of foods over time, different procedures have been designed such as:
a) Real-time life studies
In this case studies of physical-chemical and microbiological stability of the food are carried out, to check its behavior over time.
b) Accelerated life studies
This methodology allows to predict the behavior of the products and predict their evolution, under the usual conditions of storage, distribution and marketing.
c) Sensory evaluation of products at different storage times
This methodology can evaluate the perception of the consumer, evaluating products at different times from their manufacture, the results of which are compared with freshly processed products.
In Laben Chile, these methodologies are used adapting them to the requirements and objectives set by customers, based on their needs, they can also be advised on the selection of packaging materials, processing and packaging systems that allow them to will achieve the required duration at the lowest possible cost.
Finally, the life determination tool helps reduce costs for early collection of "Recall" products or worse for company image loss due to customer complaints.
