Create a study
The 5-step wizard to set up a shelf-life study, from identification to time-point planning.
Goal
Set up a shelf-life study: identify it, define the storage conditions, choose which attributes to track along with their threshold, and plan the time points at which the product will be evaluated.
How to get there
- URL:
https://app.areacacao.com/sensory-analysis/studies/shelf-life/new - How to reach it: in Shelf-life studies, click New study (or Create first study if you don't have any).
Pro plan or above, or a tasting pack with credit left.
The wizard
The wizard has a step indicator (stepper) that shows Step X of 5 with each step's title. In the footer you have the Back and Next buttons; on the last step, Create study.
Steps
Step 1 — Identification
- Study title (required): e.g. 70% dark chocolate — storage Q1 2026.
- Description (optional).
- Recipe (optional): the associated recipe's identifier.
- Batch (optional): the associated batch's identifier.
For now, the Recipe and Batch fields are text fields where you paste the identifier by hand; there's no search or selector. They're optional: if you don't have the identifier handy, leave them empty.
Step 2 — Storage conditions
Define the environment in which the product will be kept during the study:
- Temperature (°C) (required, default 20; allowed range -40 to 80).
- Relative humidity (%) (required, default 60; 0 to 100).
- Light exposure (required): Darkness, Indirect light, or Direct light.
- Packaging (optional): e.g. PVC blister, polyethylene bag.
Step 3 — Target attributes and thresholds
Check the box for each attribute to be evaluated at each time point. For each checked attribute you choose two things:
- Deterioration direction: Worsens going down (for example, creaminess or freshness) or Worsens going up (for example, rancidity, hardness, or cardboard notes).
- Threshold (0 to 10, with one decimal). Depending on the direction, the field is called Minimum (the lowest acceptable value, if it worsens going down) or Maximum (the highest tolerable value, if it worsens going up).
When you check an attribute, the app suggests a value: attributes in the Defect category start as Worsens going up with a maximum of 2; the rest, as Worsens going down with a minimum of 5. You can change both.
The sensory regression will alert you when an attribute's curve crosses its threshold in the direction you chose.
If no attribute appears, you'll see a notice that you need to create attributes in the Attributes module before starting the study.
Step 4 — Time planning
Define the evaluation schedule:
- Start date (required).
- Duration (days) (required, default 90; 1 to 730).
- Frequency (days) (required, default 30).
From these three values, AreaCacao generates and previews the Generated points (N) table with the columns point number, day (T+0, T+30…), and scheduled date. Points are auto-generated on day 0 and then every N days until the duration is covered.
Step 5 — Confirmation
Review the study summary grouped into four blocks: Identification, Storage conditions, Target attributes (with their threshold, shown as minimum N or maximum N), and Planning (Start, Duration, Frequency, and estimated end). If any required field is missing, you'll see the notice Some fields are still missing.
Click Create study.
Expected result
The study is created in Draft status and AreaCacao takes you to its detail screen, with the time points already scheduled. Click Activate in the header to start it. From there, evaluate the product at each point and review the decay curve and the regression. See Regression and threshold.