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Stability testing service for natural colours

In response to the need for a standardised test for screening natural colours, Leatherhead has built up expertise and has developed accelerated tests to screen the stability of natural colours in a wide-range product matrix. This is an essential tool where commercial decisions have to be made within time constraints for product launch and for troubleshooting.

Testing conditions
Leatherhead's facility (equipped with BINDER climate chambers) offers testing under the
following regimes:

• Temperature range from -10°C to 90°C
• Humidity range from 10% to 90%
• Light conditions, UV and/or white light. Other light conditions are available on request

Colour measurements

• HunterLab colorimeter - provides objective, quantifiable and precise colour (L, a and b) measurement of  
  food products in solid, granular, flake, powder, paste and liquid form
• Spectrophotometer - absorbance is measured at specific wavelengths relating to the colour shade of 
   the sample
• Trained sensory and consumer panels - for assessing the impact of colour change on overall sensory  
   qualities and consumer acceptability

Benefits for the food industry
Leatherhead's natural-colours testing service will enable companies to:

• Aid new product development through accelerated tests
• Compare the stability of new product variants with natural colours against existing formulations
• Compare the stability of colours from different sources
• Screen packaging materials and formats for impact on visual appearance
• Measure the effects of product and process factors on the rate of colour change
• Measure the effect of storage conditions

Complementary services
Leatherhead offers a wide range of other services relating to shelf-life and stability testing. These include:

• Product reformulation
• Troubleshooting on stability issues
• Legislation advice
• Chemical analysis
• Shelf-life assessment under real-time conditions
• Microbial stability testing

 

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