“How does one measure a life?” That’s a big question with many philosophical and intangible conclusions. As a packaging company, we’re probably not the best resource to turn to with such matters. But, if the question is, “How does one measure the shelf life of a product?”, that’s a topic right up our aisle! Here are some facts and recommendations to help you maximize and measure the shelf life of your product.  
 

Maximize your shelf file

1. Moisture:

There are many factors that dictate how long your product will last. One of the top offenders is moisture. For many reasons, natural wet products tend to spoil more quickly than natural dry products. To help prevent spoilage, wet products should be treated with bacteria-killing processes and stored in an airtight environment.  

Dry products should be kept at a moisture level of 10% or lower. Desiccant packets, cotton balls, and other absorbent products can help keep moisture levels low.

2. Oxygen and atmosphere:

Oxygen is good for our bodies, but not so good for our product packaging. When exposed to oxygen, natural products will break down, decreasing freshness and usefulness. The presence of oxygen in natural products can also potentially encourage the growth of bacteria or germs.

For dry products, we recommend using oxygen absorber packets, which leave about 99% pure nitrogen in an airtight container.  

For both wet and dry products, certain packaging processes exist where the air from a container is purged and replaced with an inert gas. Nitrogen is almost always used in this process because it is the most inert gas known, but for at-home packaging solution, carbon dioxide gas from dry ice can also be used. Either way, the important thing is to replace the oxygen with something that will not promote product breakdown. If this is not an option for you, simply minimizing exposure to oxygen is the next best thing.  

3. Temperature:  

Exposure to heat or frequent temperature change is not good for natural products, as these factors contribute to the break down natural products - especially liquid ones. To help promote long shelf life, a constant temperature of 40°F to 60°F is optimal. Products that spoil easily should be refrigerated or frozen.  

4. Light:

Light is not especially good for natural products either. The energy from light can cause chemical changes in your products, causing premature spoilage. Exposure to some forms of light can also increase the product’s temperature. To minimize the effects of light, store your products in a dark place or use a light-resistant container.

5. Container:  

Taking all previously discussed factors into account, using the right (or wrong) container and closure can have a big impact on the shelf life of your product. To maintain moisture and atmosphere levels, it is important to choose a non-permeable, airtight container with a vacuum or hermetic seal. Heat induction seals (HIS) are the only liner that can guarantee airtight sealing on plastic containers. For glass containers, metal canning lids with a plastisol liner will create a hermetic seal. Other non-hermetic options include foam and polyclone liners; these are still good air-resistant closures, but they do not offer the same airtightness or product freshness of a hermetic seal. For vacuum packaging, there are airless pumps and vacuum-sealed bags. Lastly, to help with light exposure, any opaque, colored, or UV-treated container should help.  

Measuring Shelf file

Once you have optimized your packaging and storage conditions, you will want to test those changes to find out how your product’s shelf life has been affected. For liability (and in some cases legality), we strongly recommended that you have the spoilage date tested and confirmed by professionals. However, if you want to do your own testing before involving professionals, here are some tips and tricks to make your research a success.  

When measuring the shelf life of your product, test several containers of your product by producing, packaging, and storing them at the same time and under the same conditions. Make sure that the placement and storage of your test containers reflect real-world conditions. Then periodically check the quality of your product until it spoils. For example, if you think your product spoils at the 60-day mark, you should open and check one of your testers on day 20, then another on day 30, 40, 50, 60, and so on, until you notice the product is no longer good. because this method required you to open a test container each time you check for spoilage, make sure you plan ahead, and provide yourself with several test containers to work with; 5 to 10 containers of product should be adequate for most DIY tests.

Conclusion

When in doubt, involve a professional, and remember this: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and check on your moisture, oxygen levels, temperature, light, and container style, your products may not last as long as you’d like.” Okay, so we’re paraphrasing a Ferris Bhuller quote, but the point is, focusing on these five things can help improve your natural product’s shelf life. After you address those factors, you can test and fine-tune your packaging conditions to get the most out of your product. If you still have questions, or if you need packaging for testing, our team is here to help!  

Now go live, laugh, and package some long-lasting products!