All Member Forum

I'm interested in knowing how the manufacturer's shelf life for packaging components is perceived by end users as well as suppliers (food & pharmaceutical industries).

In my professional experience the manufacturer's shelf life is the manufacturer's guarantee that the packaging component will perform as intended on the packaging line (per specification).  The manufacturer's shelf life is also included in the end user's packaging component specification and it is used to establish a packaging component's expiration date in the end user's ERP system.  For example: if the manufacturer's shelf life for a laminate film is 12-months from its date of shipment then when the customer receives the film they will set the film's expiration date as 12-months from the date of shipment identified on the bill of lading.

If that lot of film is still in inventory at the end of its shelf life (expiration date), then the end user has the option of either destroying that lot of film or re-testing it to see if it still meets specification.  If it still meets specification, the end user can extend the expiration date (a pre-determined amount of time from the original expiration date) for the re-tested lot only.

End Users:  Do you ever change the manufacturer's shelf life on your packaging component specifications?  For example: If the manufacturer's shelf life for a roll of film is 12-months; have you ever changed your specification shelf life from 12-months to 36-months to avoid having to re-test?

If you have stated a longer shelf life than the manufacturer's shelf life in your packaging component specifications, did/do you base it on statistical data?  (For example: re-testing 30 different lots of film to have a 95% confidence level?)

Manufacturers/Suppliers of Laminate Films: If you assign a 12-month shelf life guaranteeing the performance of a laminate film with barrier properties, does the 12-month shelf life typically mean the laminate will seal properly on the packaging equipment if used within that 12-month window?  Does it mean that the barrier properties are not guaranteed after 12-months?

I have been challenged on the validity of a laminate film manufacturer's 12-month shelf life because while the manufacturer only guarantees the film's performance for 12-months, after we use the film to package a product the newly packaged product is given a shelf life/expiration date of its own which can go as much as 2-3 years past the film's original shelf life.  Essentially, I'm being asked 'Why can't we change the laminate film's shelf life to 3-years since our stability studies show it still protects our product 2 years beyond the manufacturer's shelf life?'

Any/all feedback is greatly appreciated.

A shelf life is more like a warranty.  The manufacturer warrants that the material will be good of its intended use for this period of time. There are other factors other than time in shelf life, namely temperature and humidity.  It is unusual for a manufacturer to give a shelf life without these factors, or if there is none, ambient is assumed as 50% RH and 22-23F.  The actual usable time of use for the material would be based on the actual age of the material from manufacture, the material properties in reference to the storage conditions of exposure and the required performance based on the characteristics required in manufacture and set by the company using the material for its product.  Nothing wrong with testing and continuing to use the material past intended shelf life,  it is a marker for intended use, as it is not indefinite.