Guide
Perishables and shelf life
The shorter a product’s shelf life, the less room there is for a wrong order.
Shelf life and forecast risk
For ambient products with long shelf lives, a surplus can simply be sold next week. For perishables, unsold stock loses value quickly and eventually becomes waste. The forecast horizon that matters is therefore roughly the time between deliveries plus the remaining shelf life.
Date labels
In the EU, “use by” dates relate to safety and “best before” dates to quality. Food past its “best before” date can still be safe to eat; food past its “use by” date should not be sold. Clearer understanding of date labels is part of the EU’s food waste agenda.
Typical shelf-life bands
Hours to 1–2 days
Bread, sandwiches, cut fruit, some prepared food.
Several days
Many fruits and vegetables, fresh meat and fish, milk.
Weeks or longer
Hard cheese, many chilled and most ambient products.
Related
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