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Decode the expiration date is an important part of the production process both for the Business owner and the consumer. It helps ensure that the products can be consumed within a safe timeframe.

However, some kinds of expiry dates are attached to product labels, each provides a different purpose. They come in a combination of letters, numbers, and also dates, attached in a packaging or a product.

They expire date. On package products, these are a critical piece of information to indicate the guaranteed date on which the product is still effective and safe to be used.

Understanding Expiration Dates: What Do the Codes Mean

Simply, expiration dates refer to the timeframe for a product to be used safely. After that date, the items cannot be used or consumed in any way.

Food Expiration Dates

This part of the decode expiration date is primarily related to the texture or quality of a food. It shows when a food is no longer edible or retains its nutritional value. However, food can still be eaten after the expiration date if it doesn’t spoil or smell.

However, keep in mind that fresh fruits, cheese, vegetables, and milk should not be consumed beyond their expiration dates since there can be harmful bacteria. This can result in serious disease.

Medicine Expiration Dates

This parameter shows that a grus is guaranteed by the manufacturer to be stable and safe to consume. It is not liable anymore after the expiration date.

Common Systems of Decoding Expiration Date Used in Food Labeling

When it comes to ensuring compliance, quality, and safety, determining food expiration dates is important. There are some general systems applied globally related to this matter.

Best if Used Before/By

This decode expiration date refers to a suggestion or quality assurance date. It means that the quality and taste of the product reach the peak but are not related to safety or purchase date.

Used By

This suggests to the customers the date they should consume the product. However, it is not an issue to consume it one or two days after this date, but it will be important to check the product’s quality. This is not related to a safety date, except for infant formula.

Sell By and Freeze By

This part of the decode expiration date is also not a safety-date-related thing. The sell-by date is associated with retailers to help them determine the timeframe of an item to put on the shelf.

According to the USDA, the Freeze date suggests when the item needs to freeze to keep its quality. It is not related to safety or purchase.

The Impact of Misinterpreting Expiration Dates on Your Business

This can be a disaster for your business, significantly impacting many aspects from financial performance to operational efficiency and customer trust. There can be some potential consequences.

Costs and Waste Increase. The confusion about dates-related terms can cause a product to be thrown out too early which can lead to a waste increase. Furthermore, it also damages the manufacturer’s reputation and causes customers’ trust issues.

In some cases, it even leads to lawsuits or fines for a company that sells expired products. Unclear decode expiration date rules also cause mismanaging inventory creating a mess in the workflow and requiring extra work.

Last, but not least, it is a common case for a business owner to sell a product that is nearing the expiration date at a lower price or discount. This is still good, however, due to misunderstanding, it will be a waste.

The Future of Expiration Date Labeling and Decoding

It is expected that the expiration date decoding and labeling will reduce food waste, answer customers’s confusion, as well as enhance food safety.

Labels Standardizaiton

To combat the previous issue of the decode expiration date terms like “best before”, “sell by” etc, the Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association recommend only using the term “best if used by” for safety and quality indication.

Innovation in Technology

More innovations will possibly discovered in the future to support the existing technologies such as RFID tags and QR codes. Along with them, the discoveries may reduce unnecessary waste and extend products’ usability.

Educating Customer

Customers need to be more educated about the clarity of “best if used by” which is related to peak quality, and “used by” which refers to safety. This helps them to be more aware of food consumption.

When it comes to discussing expiration dates, it is just the tip of the iceberg related to product quality and safety. In maintaining the integrity and freshness of the items, storage and some other aspects hold a crucial role as well.

For business owners in another industry such as the plastic manufacturing industry, the decode expiration date has also been always critical. Read About: Automated Expiration Date Machine for Bottle.

References:

https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/food-expiration-dates-guidelines-chart

https://dsi-printer.co.id/the-secret-language-of-food-labels-decoding-expire-date/

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