Beverage testing
Beverages fail differently from other products: the active separates, settles or sticks to the can before it ever degrades. We measure potency per container, then whether that potency stays where the consumer will find it.
- Price
- Quoted
- Turnaround
- 5–7 business days
- Family
- Product
- Agilent 1290 or 6490
- Agilent 1290 Infinity II UHPLC
- DLS analyser
- Calibrated pH meter
- Incubated plates
- Calibrated aw meter
Purchased new through authorised channels, performance-qualified by certified engineers, and the instrument ID prints on every certificate. View the bench.
What the panel measures
| Test | Method | Instrument | Reports as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potency per container | MethodHPLC-UV or LC-MS/MS on the whole unit | InstrumentAgilent 1290 or 6490 | Reports asmg per container and per serving |
| Emulsion stability | MethodAssay from top and bottom after standing | InstrumentAgilent 1290 Infinity II UHPLC | Reports asDifference between fractions, % |
| Unit homogeneity | MethodReplicate assay across units | InstrumentAgilent 1290 Infinity II UHPLC | Reports asRelative standard deviation, % |
| Particle or droplet size | MethodDynamic light scattering | InstrumentDLS analyser | Reports asMean diameter in nm and distribution |
| pH and titratable acidity | MethodElectrode and titration | InstrumentCalibrated pH meter | Reports aspH units and % acid |
| Microbial | MethodUSP <61>/<62> | InstrumentIncubated plates | Reports asCFU/mL, TAMC, TYMC, pathogens |
| Water activity | MethodCapacitance hygrometer | InstrumentCalibrated aw meter | Reports asaw to 0.01 |
Sample requirements and shipping
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Canned or bottled beverage | Requirement6 sealed units for potency and stability |
| Concentrate or shot | Requirement6 sealed units |
| Powder to reconstitute | Requirement10 sachets plus the stated preparation |
| Condition | RequirementUpright and unopened. Do not shake before packing; we need the product as a consumer would find it. |
Order first, then ship. A prepaid label is emailed when payment lands, and the carrier scan on that label opens your chain of custody. We accept no walk-in drop-off, and we hold no DEA registration, so no Schedule I to V material.
Why the method matters
A beverage assayed after shaking reads on-claim almost regardless of how good the emulsion is. Assaying the top and bottom fractions of a settled can is the test that actually distinguishes a stable emulsion from a hopeful one.
Droplet size predicts stability better than any single-timepoint assay. A nanoemulsion in the tens of nanometres will hold; one in the hundreds will cream, and the DLS number tells you months before the shelf does.
What comes back
A public certificate
Every result, the method, the instrument ID, the LOD and LOQ and the signature, verifiable by accession number with no login.
The filmed route
Your package opened on camera, a photograph of each container, and the footage retained for three years. Released to you on request.
A retained sample
Held 90 days, so any result can be rechecked by us or by an accredited laboratory of your choosing.
Questions about beverage testing
How many cans should I send?
Six. Three are assayed as received, and the rest support the settling and homogeneity work.
Why do you tell me not to shake it?
Because the point is to find out what happens when a consumer does not. We will homogenise in the laboratory when the method calls for it, and the certificate says which fractions were assayed.
Can you support an expiry date?
Yes, through a stability study with timed pulls. For beverages the separation trend usually appears before any potency loss does.
Do you test the emulsion concentrate before it is dosed?
Yes, and that is where most formulators should start. Droplet size and potency on the emulsion itself is cheaper than diagnosing it in a finished can.
Submit a sample
Order in the builder, pay, and a prepaid label is emailed to you. The certificate publishes to the database the moment it is signed.