Food shelf life refers to

As we all know, any food has its shelf life. The production date and shelf life of a food are also what consumers are most concerned about, especially the shelf life, which in a certain sense is the producer's commitment to consumers. So, is the meaning of shelf life what we understand it to be? Once the expiration date is reached, does the food no longer have to be eaten? Next, let the editor lead everyone to understand the true meaning of food shelf life.

1. Meaning

The shelf life of a product refers to the best consumption period of the product. The shelf life of the product is provided by the manufacturer and marked on the product with a limited use period. During the shelf life, the product manufacturer is responsible for the product quality complying with relevant standards or expressly guaranteed quality conditions. Sellers can sell these products with confidence and consumers can use them safely.

The shelf life is not the only criterion for identifying whether food or other products have gone bad. Premature spoilage of materials may occur due to changes in storage methods, environment, etc. Therefore, try to consume food before its expiration date.

The shelf life of opened food will be shortened, so use it up as soon as possible to avoid product quality deterioration.

2. Identification skills

The shelf life on a food label means "the date by which the quality of the food is guaranteed under the conditions specified on the label; food that exceeds the shelf life may still be edible." The "specified conditions" mentioned above generally refer to storage methods, such as ventilation, dryness, and coolness, so that the food is completely suitable for sale and consumption within the shelf life. Food that has exceeded its shelf life can still be eaten if its color, aroma and taste have not changed. For example, if beer that has exceeded its shelf life does not lose its gloss, has turbidity or precipitation, or has an odor, it can still be consumed.

3. Determine the method

At present, the following two methods are often used to determine the shelf life:

1. Determine a shelf life based on the product's distribution and logistics in the market, taking into account the shelf life of the same series of products and consumer awareness.

2. Store the food under particularly harsh conditions, then conduct quality inspections at regular intervals for multiple times, and then use sensory evaluation or physical and chemical properties of the product to inspect the quality. Finally, the test results are extrapolated (reasonable inference) to obtain the shelf life under normal storage conditions (ASLT test).