Shelf Life
Definition
The period of time during which a food product remains safe, retains desired sensory, chemical, physical, and microbiological characteristics, and complies with nutrition labelling.
Key Takeaways
- •Shelf life is the period during which a food remains safe and of acceptable quality under the specified storage conditions
- •Use-by dates mark a safety limit; best-before dates mark a quality limit — the shelf life claim must match the appropriate date type
- •Shelf life must be validated through testing (microbiological, sensory, physicochemical) or justified by published scientific evidence
- •Storage conditions on the label form part of the shelf life claim — a product stored incorrectly may fail before the stated date
- •Extending shelf life without re-validation (e.g. new packaging, new preservative level) is not compliant and creates safety risk
Regulatory Source
- Standard 1.2.5— Date marking of food for sale — shelf life determines whether a food requires a use-by date (unsafe after) or best-before date (quality after)
Last verified against current standards: April 2026
Regulatory authority: Food Standards Australia New Zealand
What is Shelf Life?
Shelf life is the period during which a food product remains safe to eat, maintains its quality attributes (texture, flavour, appearance), and retains its declared nutritional and functional properties — provided it has been stored under the recommended storage conditions (typically room temperature, refrigerated, or frozen).
Shelf life is determined by the manufacturer through stability testing and is distinct from best-before or use-by dating. The shelf life period informs the manufacturer's choice of best-before (for quality) or use-by (for safety) date marking under FSANZ Standard 1.2.5.
Shelf Life vs Use-By vs Best-Before
- Shelf life: The actual period the product is safe and of good quality (determined by testing)
- Use-by date: Placed on products where safety degrades (e.g. chilled products, high-risk foods); food must not be sold past this date
- Best-before date: Placed on products where quality (not safety) degrades over time; food can legally be sold past this date but quality may have declined
If a product has a 12-month shelf life, the best-before date is typically set at 12 months from production, with a buffer for distribution and retail storage.
Determining Shelf Life: Stability Testing
Shelf life is determined by storing the product under defined conditions and periodically testing for:
- Microbiological growth (for chilled products, testing at intervals until microbial load reaches unacceptable levels)
- Chemical degradation (rancidity for oils/fats, browning for milk solids, degradation of vitamins)
- Physical changes (texture, separation, crystallisation)
- Sensory changes (colour, flavour, aroma)
For a chilled product, testing might occur weekly at refrigeration temperature until microbial load reaches the pre-defined safety limit. For a shelf-stable product, testing might occur monthly or quarterly at ambient temperature for the claimed shelf life period.
Shelf Life in Practice for Australian Food Manufacturers
Who performs stability testing? You can either: (1) conduct in-house testing if you have microbiological lab capability; or (2) contract a food testing laboratory to perform stability studies (typically $2,000–$5,000 for a standard study). Testing is not optional — if you cannot demonstrate via testing that your product has the shelf life you claim, you are in breach.
Common scenarios:
Different shelf life for different storage conditions. A product may have a 12-month shelf life at -18°C (frozen), but only 3 months at 4°C (refrigerated). The date marking and storage instructions must align.
Shelf life reduction after recipe changes. If you change an ingredient or remove a preservative, re-test shelf life. Do not assume the new formulation has the same shelf life as the previous one.
Worked example: An Australian dairy company produces a flavoured yoghurt. Stability testing at 4°C shows that microbial growth (lactic acid bacteria from fermentation continuing) and sensory degradation (separation, flavour changes) reach unacceptable levels at 18 days. They set the best-before date at 18 days from production to provide a margin of safety and account for distribution time.
How Batchbase Uses Shelf Life Data
When you set up a product in Batchbase with a defined shelf life (e.g. 12 months for frozen, 21 days for chilled), the system automatically calculates and displays the best-before or use-by date when a batch is produced. This date can be printed directly onto the product packaging, reducing the risk of dating errors.
Related Standards and References
- FSANZ Standard 1.2.5 — Date marking of food for sale (shelf life informs best-before/use-by dating)
- FSANZ food standards code
Related Terms
Best-Before Date
A date marking on food labels indicating the date until which the food will remain at its best quality if properly stored. Food may still be safe to consume after this date.
Date Marking
The use of best-before or use-by dates on food packaging. Use-by dates indicate food safety limits and must not be exceeded. Best-before dates indicate quality and the food may still be safe after the date.
Use-By Date
A date marking on food labels indicating the last date on which the food may be safely consumed. After the use-by date, the food must not be sold or consumed.