Shelf-life studies
Measure how a product's sensory attributes decay over time, with regression and per-attribute threshold-crossing detection.
What it is
A shelf-life study measures how a product's sensory attributes (color, aroma, flavor, texture) evolve over time, under controlled storage conditions. You schedule a series of time points (day 0, day 30, day 60…), evaluate the product at each point, and AreaCacao computes the decay curve and the moment each attribute crosses the acceptability threshold you defined.
It's the tool to answer, with data, the question "how long does this chocolate last before it's no longer acceptable?"
Pro plan or above, or a tasting pack with credit left. Without either, the section is replaced with an invitation to upgrade (with the pack option).
How to get there
- URL:
https://app.areacacao.com/sensory-analysis/studies/shelf-life - How to reach it: from Sensory analysis, open Shelf life studies.
Studies list
The main screen shows:
- Header with the title Shelf-life studies and a summary: number of studies, how many are in progress, completed points out of the total (for example, 4/12 points completed), and the evaluations recorded.
- Filter bar:
- Search by title, batch, or recipe.
- Status: All, Active, Draft, Paused, Completed, Canceled.
- Sort: Newest first, Oldest first, Title A-Z, Title Z-A, Progress (highest first), Recent start date.
- Study cards, each with its title, the status badge, the start date, the duration (in days), the frequency (every N days), the number of attributes, and two progress bars: Points (completed points out of the total) and Time (days elapsed out of the total).
Click a card to open the study detail. Click New study to open the creation wizard.
As long as none of your studies has at least 3 completed points, See an example study in the meantime appears above the list with the View the example study link: a finished study with its curve, the threshold crossing, the limiting attribute, and the confidence interval. It carries the Example badge and the This is an example study notice; its data is sample data, and it can't be edited, scored, or deleted.
If you haven't created any study yet, you'll see the message No shelf-life studies yet with the Create first study button. If the list can't load, Couldn't load the shelf-life studies appears with a message like "… Try again later or contact support if it persists."
How it works, at a glance
Create the study
Define the storage conditions, the attributes to monitor with their threshold, and the time-point planning. See Create a study.
Evaluate at each time point
At each scheduled point (T+0, T+30, T+60…) your panel evaluates the product. The study accumulates the panel's means per point.
Review the curve and the regression
As soon as the panel evaluates the first point, AreaCacao plots the decay curve; with more points it computes, per attribute, when it will cross the threshold. See Regression and threshold.
The decay curve appears with a single evaluated point, but the Sensory evolution curves (the computed fit) need at least 3 time points with evaluations to be plotted.
Before you start
Define the sensory attributes you'll monitor in the Attributes module. The creation wizard needs available attributes: if there are none, it will prompt you to create attributes before starting a study.