Shelf life and shelf life - is there a difference

Hard to find food or nonfood goods, which will be stored forever and at the same time was usable. On the packaging or container products manufacturers necessarily indicative of the expiration date, but sometimes, buying the product, you can find the inscription "the shelf life", and not every consumer knows what the difference between these concepts.

What is the shelf life

Under the expiry date refers to the time period after which the product unfit for use or consumption. Manufacturer, setting expiration date, confirms the time frame of guaranteed product quality.

Products, which established mandatory expiration date, includes: perfumery and cosmetics, food, household chemicals, and medications. On the packaging of a product information about expiration dates may be applied in several ways: "valid during", "use to" qualified". At the same time on perishable products must indicate the deadline date hour, day, month". For a product that is suitable for use up to 3 months – "day, month". If the shelf life of above 3 months, then apply information "month, year".

Products with an expired shelf life is not recommended, especially if it's food or medicine. It can cause allergic reactions, health and poisoning, and even lead to irreversible consequences.

What is the shelf life

This term implies the period during which the product, subject to the rules of storage, does not lose its properties, which must meet technical and regulatory documents. At the expiration of the shelf life of the food product can remain usable, however, its qualitative characteristics can be reduced slightly.

Mostly the retention period set on the types of food that do not require clearly limited shelf life, such as vegetables and fruits. The retention period counted from the date of manufacture, and indicate on the packaging or container in two ways: "keep until" date, or "stored for the" with data on the number of days, months, years.

The quality of the product depends not only on the correct position of the retention period, but from the proper established of conditions for this. It is necessary to consider the main factors that contribute to the deterioration of the goods is high humidity, frost or too high air temperature, direct sunlight.

Although at first glance these concepts have much in common, should be carefully indicated on the package shelf life or storage and to understand the difference between them. This is the key to a good quality purchase fit item, and will eliminate the consumption of contaminated, hazardous, products.