Overview
How Long Does Fresh Really Last?
Best-before dates are too often a guess copied from a competitor. Since 2024 we have run real-time and accelerated stability trials on 40 product categories — chilled dips, cold-pressed juices, plant milks, ready meals and more — tracking micro counts, pH, water activity, colour and taste week by week.
The goal is practical: give producers defensible dates that cut waste without risking safety, and give retailers confidence to range challenger brands.
Study at a glance
- Scope: 40 categories, 1,200+ samples
- Method: real-time + accelerated (25°C / 60% RH)
- Measures: micro, pH, aw, colour, sensory
- Partners: 12 producers, 2 universities
- Output: open dataset + per-category guidance
Findings so far
What The Data Is Telling Us
−22%
Average avoidable waste when dates move from guesswork to trial data.
aw 0.92
The water-activity threshold where most chilled dips turn — the line to formulate under.
9 days
Median safe extension found for cold-pressed juices with HPP treatment.
