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(888) 80-QALAB or (888) 807-2522

Getting Started

Please help us put an end to in-box clutter and complete projects more quickly!

  1. If you are a new customer, please complete our New Customer Form.
  2. A quotation will be prepared for your project.
  3. Submit pre-payment information to rebecca@trelfalabs.com.
  4. Download, complete, and submit all applicable forms and/or labels based on the project types below.
  5. Email form(s) to rebecca@trelfalabs.com
  6. Rebecca will create a secure One Drive project folder and upload your form for Jon’s review.
  7. Rebecca will email you (and anyone you designate) an invitation to access the folder and upload/download and edit files as needed.
  8. When editing, please make note of your revisions, so that Jon can track your project accordingly!
  9. Jon will refer to this folder for all project information and upload your completed files there.
  10. Ship products and information to: Trelfa Labs, Inc., 6 Merrill St., Unit 4, Salisbury, MA 01952
  11. To discuss in further detail, please schedule a call with Jon via the Book Now link, also shown to the right of this screen.
    1. Please Note: Any advice not related to a project already on the schedule will be billed after 5 minutes, billed in 15-minute increments (rounded up).

Shelf Life Studies

For a shelf life study, we require:

  1. Products which have gone through an HPP (High Pressure Pasteurization) system before submitting to the lab. (Pasteurization is your responsibility, unless otherwise stipulated.)
  2. Six unopened bottles/packages of each product presented to us as you intend to sell it.
  3. Instructions as to how you would like each product stored. (refrigerated, ambient, etc.)
  4. An estimate of the number of days you expect each product to last.

Our process is as follows:

  1. We will test your product for Total Bacterial Count, Coliform, and Yeast/Mold upon each of the six openings.
  2. The first sample will also be tested for pH verification.
  3. We will test the product at intervals that will achieve the desired shelf life or beyond.
  4. You will receive notification if there is a problem along the way.
  5. Once complete, a laboratory report will be issued with a recommendation for shelf life.
  6. The report will be available to your company only via our customer portal.

Validation Studies

The health department and FDA will require you to have validation of all SKUs.

For a validation study, we require:

  1. Payment up front at a rate of $1,500.00 per validated item. (check, ACH/e-check, credit cards, and bank transfers accepted)
  2. Sixteen bottles (no glass) of your product freshly made, but not exposed to HPP.
    1. The product does not need to be in the final packaging.
    2. The product must be in the same size bottle that you will be selling, as HPP works differently on different sized bottles.
    3. Do not submit with caps with foam liners.
  3. Items labeled with your company name, product ID, and date of manufacture. Unlabeled products will be discarded.
  4. Samples received into our laboratory on a Monday or Wednesday, so that we can inoculate and send to HPP on Tuesday or Thursday.
  5. Your expected shelf life for the product, so we can run the validation study through the length of the life.
    1. If you require some products to be refrigerated and others to remain ambient, please indicate on the Validation Study Tracking form.
  6. Ship using the following form and labels: Validation Study Tracking | Validation Study Labels (Template: 4″ x 2″, 10/sheet)

Our process is as follows:

  1. We inoculate the bottles with Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli.
  2. We then, transfer the bottles to an HPP facility.
  3. We test the bottles across the life of the product to prove that HPP was effective in destroying sufficient numbers of bacteria.
  4. You are welcome to call/write regarding the status of testing, but we do not supply interim reports.
  5. We will notify you if there is a problem along the way. However, “no news is good news.”
  6. Once complete, we will write a comprehensive report detailing the study and results.
  7. These reports are not available through our client portal.
  8. You will receive a paid invoice for your records.

Juice HACCP Plans

For a Juice HACCP Plan, we require:

  1. Your recipe.
  2. A description of your manufacturing process, from the receipt of raw materials to the shipping of finished goods.
  3. Temperatures and times, as needed, throughout your process. (We know the parameters for HPP, so you do not need to provide that).
  4. Other information, as requested, throughout the writing process.

Please allow at least two weeks for you project’s completion.

 

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