Glossary · Manufacturing
What Is Shelf Life?
Shelf life is the period for which a product is expected to remain stable, safe and within specification when stored as directed. It is assigned from stability testing data rather than assumed, and it appears on the label as an expiry date or, where durability exceeds thirty months, as a period-after-opening statement.
Why it matters when you source
Shelf life is a commercial variable as well as a technical one: it decides how much inventory a distributor can hold and how a marketplace treats the listing. Ask what data supports the number before it is printed on packaging.
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