The shelf life of food, how is the shelf life of food regulated

The shelf life or shelf life of a food product is a period of time, and it is counted from the date of manufacture. The production date refers to the date when the food product completes the entire production (processing) process (procedure) and reaches the standard date for sale.

When consumers buy food, they will find that in addition to the food name, ingredients, manufacturer, operator and other items printed on the packaging or label of the food, there is also a very important content is the shelf life or shelf life of the food. In order to enhance the awareness of health and hygiene self-protection, it is necessary to understand the meaning of the shelf life or shelf life of food.

The shelf life refers to the period during which the quality (quality) of the food is maintained under the conditions specified on the label, during which the food is fully suitable for sale and meets the quality (quality) specified on the label or in the product standard, beyond which the food is still edible for a certain period of time, and it should be noted that the Food Sanitation Law of the People's Republic of China prohibits the sale of food beyond the shelf life.

The shelf life is the final date by which the food can be eaten under the conditions specified on the label: beyond this period, the quality of the product (quality) may change and the food is no longer fit for sale.

The sell-by date is the best before date of the food item, while the shelf life is the recommended final consumption period.

If the shelf life or shelf life is related to the storage conditions of the food, the storage method must be indicated, such as refrigerated storage, storage away from light, storage in a cool and dry place, etc. Consumers should also pay attention to whether the sales environment of the seller meets the conditions specified on the label when purchasing food.

The General Standard for Food Labeling also stipulates that foods with a shelf life or shelf life of more than 18 months that have been clearly specified in national standards or industry standards can be exempted from the standard shelf life or shelf life.

You can eat food that has not spoiled. But it is recommended to consume it best before the expiration date.

The quality will deteriorate, that is, it will deteriorate, and the longer the expiration time, the less the quality can be guaranteed.

In fact, it depends on what it is, for example, the shelf life of steamed bread bought in the staple food supermarket may be 1-2 days in summer and 3-5 days in winter, but if you put it for a week and it is not bad, then you can definitely eat it, but if it is not stored properly and it will become moldy within the shelf life, then you can't eat it. What I mean by this is that we also have to analyze the specific problems to see what kind of food it is and whether there is a problem when eating it.

The shelf life is generally the life of the preservative

The quality will be reduced, but it will still be edible.

Legal Analysis: The national food authorities have made the following provisions on the shelf life of some foods:

1. Alcohol: The shelf life of bottled ordinary cooked beer is 2 months, and the shelf life of special beer is 4 months; Bottled grape fruit wine for half a year.

2. Beverages: fruit juice soda, fruit soda, cola soda, the shelf life of glass bottles is 3 months, canned for 6 months; Juice in glass bottles for 6 months.

3. Canned food: canned fish, meat and poultry, glass bottled shelf life of 2 years; 15 months for canned fruits and vegetables and glass bottles; The shelf life of fried dried fruits, tomato paste, canned and glass bottles is 1 year; Milk powder is 1 year in tinplate cans, 9 months in glass bottles, and 4 months in 500g plastic bags.

4. Sugar: biscuits in tinplate barrels for 3 months, plastic bags for 2 months, bulk for 1 month; The shelf life of chocolate and praline chocolate is 3 months, 6 months for pure chocolate and 1 month for bulk; Condiments: soy sauce and vinegar for 6 months.

Legal basis: Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China

Article 4 Food producers and traders shall be responsible for the safety of the food they produce and trade. Food producers and traders shall engage in production and business activities in accordance with laws, regulations and food safety standards, ensure food safety, be honest and self-disciplined, be responsible to the society and the public, accept social supervision, and assume social responsibility.

Article 5 The Food Safety Committee shall be established, and its responsibilities shall be stipulated by the Food Safety Committee. The food safety supervision and management department shall supervise and manage food production and business activities in accordance with the responsibilities stipulated in this law and the provisions of the law. The administrative department of health shall, in accordance with the responsibilities stipulated in this law and the provisions of the law, organize and carry out food safety risk monitoring and risk assessment, and formulate and publish national food safety standards in conjunction with the national food safety supervision and management department.

Other relevant departments shall undertake relevant food safety work in accordance with the responsibilities stipulated in this law and the provisions of the law.

(1) The shelf life of bottled ordinary cooked beer is 2 months. Specialty beer for 4 months. The bottle of grape fruit wine is half a year.

2) Beverage food, fruit juice soda, fruit soda, cola soda, which should be divided into glass bottles with a shelf life of 3 months, canned juice for 6 months, and juice glass bottles for 6 months.

3) Canned food, fish, meat and poultry canned and glass bottles have a shelf life of 2 years. 15 months for canned fruits and vegetables and glass bottles.

4) Sugar, 3 months of plastic packaging in iron drums is basically 4 months. 6 months for pure chocolate and 1 month for bulk.

Short-term food: about a month, long-term food, about a year.

1. If the shelf life of food is more than one year, 45 days before the expiration date;

2. If the shelf life is more than half a year but less than one year, 20 days before the expiration date;

3. If the shelf life is more than 90 days but less than half a year, 15 days before the expiration date;

4. If the shelf life is more than 30 days but less than 90 days, it shall be 10 days before the expiration date;

5. If the shelf life is more than 16 days but less than 30 days, 5 days before the expiration date;

6. If the shelf life is less than 15 days, 1 to 4 days before the expiration date.

Food shelf life refers to the period during which the pre-packaged food maintains its quality under the storage conditions specified on the label, generally speaking, the specific shelf life of each product has its own industry standards or national standards.

Legal basisArticle 27 of the Product Quality Law of the People's Republic of China Article 27 The labeling on the product or its packaging must be true and meet the following requirements: (1) There is a product quality inspection certificate; (2) The product name, the name and address of the manufacturer indicated in Chinese; (3) According to the characteristics and use requirements of the product, if it is necessary to indicate the product specifications, grades, names and contents of the main ingredients contained, it shall be marked accordingly in Chinese; Where it is necessary to let consumers know in advance, it shall be marked on the outer packaging, or relevant materials shall be provided to consumers in advance; (4) For products that are to be used within a limited period of time, the production date and the safe use period or expiration date shall be clearly marked in a conspicuous position; (5) Products that are improperly used, easily cause damage to the product itself, or may endanger personal or property safety, shall have warning signs or warning instructions in Chinese. Naked food and other naked products that are difficult to attach a label based on the characteristics of the product may not be labeled.

The shelf life of a food usually refers to the period during which a prepackaged food maintains its quality under the storage conditions specified on the label. During this period, the product is fully merchantable and retains the characteristic qualities that need not be stated or have been stated in the label.

The shelf life of general food not only involves the single dimension of time, but also involves the storage environment of food, and the shelf life of food should be analyzed in the specific storage state.

Shelf life of meat: 2 days - 1 week. Do not refrigerate fresh meats such as fish, beef, pork and poultry for more than two days.

After buying minced meat, it should be made into food as soon as possible. Cooked meat is refrigerated for a little longer, but it is best to eat it within a week. Cooked pork chops should be eaten within three days, and non-frozen hams, bacon or bacon have a shelf life of up to 1 week.

Shelf life of condiments: 3 months - 1 year. Tomato sauce has a shelf life of 8-12 months, mayonnaise can be stored for 6 months, condiments can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 year, mustard can be stored in the refrigerator for 8 months, salad dressings can be stored for 9 months, soy sauce is best used up in 3 months after opening, butter can be refrigerated for 1 year without spoiling, and jam has a shelf life of 1 year.

Shelf life of cooked vegetables and cereals: 3-7 days. Vegetables have a shorter shelf life when cooked, and don't put cooked broccoli in the refrigerator for more than three days. Rice, stock and leftovers should not be left in the refrigerator for more than a week.

Dairy shelf life: Fresh dairy products usually have a shelf life of 7 days when refrigerated, and if exposed to room temperature, they can spoil within a few hours.

The shelf life of milk powder food: 24 months for tinplate canned sealed nitrogen-filled packaging, 12 months for non-nitrogen-filled packaging, 9 months for glass bottles, and 6 months for plastic bags.