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Conestoga Applied Research
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Scaling up beverage formulations for shelf-life and packaging optimization for School Story

November 13, 2025
Cool Story's Mojito line
Cynthia Riddle, Conestoga Food Research & Innovation Lab

Cool Story partnered with Conestoga’s Food Research & Innovation Lab (CFRIL) to scale up and evaluate multiple beverage formulations using high temperature short time and ultra-high temperature processing at CFRIL’s pilot plant. The project focused on water-based cocktail and mocktail concentrates as well as dairy-based frappe beverages, with testing designed to assess processing performance, shelf-life stability, and potential for commercial scale-up. 

Samples from the pilot trials were evaluated in a shelf-life study at ambient and accelerated conditions. Results confirmed that the product remained stable for several months, though some quality changes were observed over time providing valuable feedback from the accelerated shelf-life study. To support shelf-life extension, recommendations were provided related to ingredient adjustments, processing refinements, and packaging improvements to help maintain the product’s appearance and overall quality during distribution and storage. 

Based on the study results, CFRIL provided targeted recommendations to improve shelf-life, preserve sensory quality, and optimize processing strategies for future production. These insights support Cool Story’s continued product development and readiness for commercial deployment. 

Funding for this project was provided by the National Research Council Canada.

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