Life on the shelf

“Best By” and “Use By” dates are common communications on any food. We recognize this as the product’s “shelf life,” information by brands to consumers indicating the product is still safe and nutritious to use. Shelf life is also valuable in inventory and turnover management along with the need for a potential recall.

It’s interesting the typical minimum shelf life length in most pet products is 18 months and in many situations 24 months. I often wonder how old my cereals or cookies are and how I should turn over foods in our pantry more often. It’s common to find off-aromas in sunflower seeds, herbs and spices, or potato chips, or perhaps rapidly growing mold on breads and cheeses.