Industry guidance on setting product shelf life
Foreword
Reducing food waste, without any compromise to the safety of food, is a
commitment we at the
Food Standards Agency share with the FDF. I welcome the publication of this
sensible guidance on
setting product shelf life, and explaining what factors affect the expiry date
of a food product. This is
another welcome step towards preventing safe food from going to waste.
Heather Hancock, Chairman of the Food Standards Agency
In this Guide
Background
Application of minimum durability
Factors affecting shelf-life
Validating
the shelf-life proposed for a food
Do's and don'ts
Glossary of terms
Additional sources of information
Background
Food waste is an issue that all parts of society can unite in reducing. The food
and drink
industry has a pivotal role in ensuring that consumers understand the date
marks
on food and drink
products and use them in support of food safety as well as waste reduction. It
is the responsibility of
Food Business Operators (FBOs) to set shelf lives such that food safety is
assured whilst at the same
time ensuring that no safe and high quality food is discarded due to
inappropriate date marking. Working
with organisations such as WRAP, it is our shared ambition to deliver
environmental benefits within a
commercial context, bringing long term mutual outcomes for all parties.
However, the shelf life of a food must be assessed carefully and with the full
knowledge of the risks
involved, to avoid putting the consumer and ultimately the Food Business
Operator (FBO) at risk. Setting
shelf-life typically involves a number of steps as outlined below. This often
includes shelf-life studies
which aid in determining the length of time the product will meet certain
standards in relation to
parameters such as microbiology, taste, appearance, vitamin levels and smell.
To note the EU regulations referenced in this document may be subject to change
after the UK exits
the EU.
Scope
The guidance is designed to help FBOs engaged in the production or sale of any
category of food
and ingredients to assign the most appropriate expiry date for their product.
It must however be noted that this guidance does not replace the need for
technical expertise which
should be sought if it is not available within a food business.
Next page: Application of minimum durability
Last reviewed: 03 Dec 2019