The Shelf of Life

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Shelf life - Wikipedia

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However, as with many rules of thumb, there are many caveats and exceptions. It is often applied in shelf life estimation, sometimes wrongly. This is mathematically incorrect if the rule was precisely accurate the required temperature increase would be about The same is true, up to a point, of the chemical reactions of living things. They are usually catalyzed by enzymes which change reaction rates, but with no variation in catalytic action, the rule of thumb is still mostly applicable. In the case of bacteria and fungi , the reactions needed to feed and reproduce speed up at higher temperatures, up to the point that the proteins and other compounds in their cells themselves begin to break down, or denature , so quickly that they cannot be replaced.

This is why high temperatures kill bacteria and other micro-organisms: On the other hand, 'elevated' temperatures short of these result in increased growth and reproduction; if the organism is harmful, perhaps to dangerous levels. Just as temperature increases speed up reactions, temperature decreases reduce them. Therefore, to make explosives stable for longer periods, or to keep rubber bands springy, or to force bacteria to slow down their growth, they can be cooled.

That is why shelf life is generally extended by temperature control: Since such storing of such goods is temporal in nature and shelf life is dependent on the temperature controlled environment, they are also referred to as cargo even when in special storage to emphasize the inherent time-temperature sensitivity matrix.

Temperature data loggers and time temperature indicators can record the temperature history of a shipment to help estimate their remaining shelf life. According to the USDA , "foods kept frozen continuously are safe indefinitely. Passive barrier packaging can often help control or extend shelf life by blocking the transmission of deleterious substances, like moisture or oxygen, across the barrier.

The Definition of “Shelf Life”

When oxidation is the primary concern, packaging with a low oxygen transmission rate and the use of oxygen absorbers can help extend the shelf life. Produce and other products with respiration often require packaging with controlled barrier properties. The use of a modified atmosphere in the package can extend the shelf life for some products. According to former UK minister Hilary Benn , the use by date and sell by dates are old technologies that are outdated and should be replaced by other solutions or disposed of altogether. The guide sets out what items must be labelled and the format of the date.

However, there is no requirement that the year be in four digits. In Hong Kong, prepackaged food which from the microbiological point of view is highly perishable and is therefore likely after a short period to constitute an immediate danger to human health, are required to use the 'Use by' label instead of the 'Best before' label.

Examples include pasteurised fresh milk, packed egg and ham sandwiches, etc.

Sale of expired food products, per se , is lightly regulated in the US. Some states restrict or forbid the sale of expired products, require expiration dates on all perishable products, or both, while other states do not. After losing an expensive lawsuit, one pharmacy chain — CVS — implemented a system that causes its registers to recognize expired products and avert their sale.

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Voluntary industry guidelines announced in from the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute recommend using only "best if used by" or "use by", to avoid confusion. The Food and Drug Administration , which regulates packaged foods and drugs, only requires a use-by, or expiration, date on infant formula and some baby foods, because formula must contain a certain quantity of each nutrient as described on the label. There are items in the Department of Defense DoD and the Federal Supply System that require special handling due to certain deteriorative characteristics.

These items are to be properly maintained to ensure that the customer is provided fresh, useable material. Shelf-life management for hazardous material follows the same procedures as those for any shelf-life items, except that hazardous material should receive priority processing over non-hazardous material. Issues and guidelines concerning the acquisition, storage, handling, transportation, and disposal of hazardous material are addressed in Chapters 3 and 5 of this Manual. This Manual endorses the pollution prevention measures in DoD Instruction Appendix L serves as a quick reference index to this Manual.

shelf life

A freshness date is the date used in the American brewing industry to indicate either the date the beer was bottled or the date before which the beer should be consumed. It can be affected by light, air, or the action of bacteria. Although beer is not legally mandated in the United States to have a shelf life, freshness dates serve much the same purpose and are used as a marketing tool.

This was not to ensure that the beer was "fresh" but to ensure that it had been aged properly. So many breweries had rushed beer to market before it was ready when Prohibition ended, that customers were wary of getting "green" beer. The Boston Beer Company , maker of Samuel Adams , was among the first contemporary brewers to start adding freshness dates to their product line in For ten years there was a slow growth in brewers adding freshness dates to their beer. The practice rapidly grew in popularity after the Anheuser-Busch company's heavily marketed "Born-On dates" starting in Many other brewers have started adding freshness dates to their products, but there is no standard for what the date means.

For some companies, the date on the bottle or can will be the date that the beer was bottled; others have the date by which the beer should be consumed. The concept of shelf life applies to other products besides food and drugs. Gasoline has a shelf life, although it is not normally necessary to display a sell-by date.

Exceeding this time-frame will introduce harmful varnishes [ clarification needed ] , etc. Some glues and adhesives also have a limited storage life, and will stop working in a reliable and usable manner if their safe shelf life is exceeded. Rather different is the use of a time limit for the use of items like vouchers, gift certificates and pre-paid phone cards, so that after the displayed date the voucher etc. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

For other uses, see Shelf Life disambiguation. The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the English-speaking world and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article , discuss the issue on the talk page , or create a new article , as appropriate. December Learn how and when to remove this template message.

Accelerated aging Cold chain Digital permanence Expiration date Failure rate Food waste Inventory turnover Modified atmosphere Moisture vapor transmission rate Packaging and labelling Permeation Planned obsolescence Redox Shelf stable. Retrieved 1 September