Challenge Studies for Food & Beverage Manufacturers
Lab+ performs challenge studies for food and beverage manufacturers that need product-specific data to make confident safety, quality, and commercialization decisions. Also called “inoculated pack studies”, these studies show how selected organisms behave in your product under defined conditions.
Whether you are launching a new product, reformulating, reducing preservatives, changing packaging, or supporting a shelf-life decision, a challenge study provides data your FSQA, R&D, regulatory, and product development teams can use to make defensible decisions.
Provide a few details about your product for a customized quote for your challenge study.
Collect Data that Answers Key Product Questions
Why Lab+?
A food challenge study is far more complex than routine food microbiology testing. A useful study design requires sound scientific judgment, food-matrix experience, relevant organism selection, controlled conditions, and clear interpretation of results. Our team gives you…
A team of scientists (including multiple with Ph.D. degrees) that is solely dedicated to contract research work, including challenge studies.
190+ years of combined food safety testing experience working with a broad range of sample types.
3 Lab+ locations across the U.S. supporting specialized contract research studies.
Clear, easy-to-understand final reports so your team can make defensible decisions.
What Is a Food Challenge Study?
A food challenge study is a controlled microbiological study that evaluates the growth, survival, or decline of selected organisms in a specific food product under defined conditions.
Challenge studies are also called inoculated pack studies because organisms of interest are introduced into the product and monitored over time. The results help FSQA, R&D, and regulatory teams understand how the product’s formulation, packaging, processing, storage conditions, and intended shelf life affect microbial growth.
A challenge study answers a vital question:
Can the organism of concern grow or survive in this product under the conditions that matter to our business?
When Do Food Manufacturers Need Challenge Studies?
Food manufacturers use challenge studies when routine testing, published data, or assumptions are not enough to answer a product-specific food safety question.
A challenge study can help your team:
Understand whether a pathogen or spoilage organism can grow, survive, or decline in your product.
Evaluate whether formulation, packaging, pH, water activity, antimicrobials, or storage conditions provide adequate control.
Support shelf-life, date-code, reformulation, and product development decisions.
Generate documentation for customer, retailer, auditor, regulatory, or internal food safety review.
Reduce uncertainty before launch, scale-up, or commercialization.
Common Triggers for a Challenge Study
Trigger
Question Your Team Needs to Answer
Lab+ Challenge Study Capabilities
Our Lab+ team can help design the study, select the organisms of interest, establish the right conditions, conduct microbial testing, and prepare a final report your team can understand and use.
Pathogen Challenge Studies
Listeria Challenge Studies for USDA Alternative Support
FDA Food Code TCS Product Assessments
Spoilage Organism Challenge Studies
Antimicrobial Ingredient MIC Studies
Best Used When…
What It Evaluates
Outcome for Your Team
Every Challenge Study Depends on the Product
Target organism
Product matrix
Salt / sugar level
Water activity
pH
Preservatives or antimicrobials
Packaging system
Storage temperature
Distribution conditions
Intended shelf life
Types of Products for Food Challenge Studies
Lab+ supports challenge studies across a range of food and beverage matrices. Contact us if you do not see your product type listed – our team can review your product and determine whether we can support the study.
Product Category
Examples
How the Challenge Study Process Works
Tell Us About Your Product & Study Goals
Our Lab+ Team Reviews the Product & Scope
We Design a Product-Specific Study
The Study is Performed Under Defined Conditions
Your Receive a Final Report
Find a Food Challenge Study Testing Lab Near You
FSNS partners with Certified Laboratories, our fellow Certified Group company, to operate food testing labs across North America, including three Lab+ locations dedicated to performing food challenge studies, shelf life testing, and other contract research work.
Turlock, CA
San Antonio, TX
Aurora, IL
What Does 190+ Yearsof Combined Experience Look Like?
Our team has 190+ years of combined experience with food testing, including challenge studies for food safety. Our scientists use their food safety experience to help select relevant organisms, define appropriate study conditions, choose meaningful timepoints, interpret results, and prepare a report your team can use.
Alex Brandt, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer, Microbiology
11 yrs.
Leslie Thompson-Strehlow, Ph.D.
Lab+ General Manager
25 yrs.
Wayne Muraoka, Ph.D.
Director of Research
17 yrs.
Isaac Boateng, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
2 yrs.
Jihun Kang, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
9 yrs.
Egle Karklis, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
1 yr.
Rebecca Linker, B.S.
Contract Research
Study Coordinator
8 yrs.
Sherman Mah, B.S.
Senior Manager Technical Services/Process Authority
30 yrs.
Wendy Reid, B.S.
Senior Research Operations Manager
36 yrs.
Vicki Gharibian, B.S.
Senior Research Operations Manager
26 yrs.
Ryan Welsh, M.S.
Technical Services Specialist
15 yrs.
Daniela Chavez, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
1 yr.
Nathan Kilgore, Ph.D.
Research Coordinator
1 yr.
Aaron Pleitner, Ph.D.
Director of Microbiology Technical Services
10 yrs.
Complete Our Food Challenge Study Questionnaire
Provide a few details about your product, packaging, organisms of interest, storage conditions, and study needs. Our team will evaluate your request and reach out with a customized quote.
