Management Trying to Extend Shelf-Life without data

Hello everyone,

I am a FSQA manager. Our facility grows and packages leafy greens. We ran shelf-life studies and all our varieties did really good except arugula. It hardly lasted the current best by date of 16 days.

Management has now made a unanimous decision to extend the shelf life from 16 to 18 days, and I do not have any data to back it up, and do not agree with it. On the contrary it is best till 14 days.

Are there any laws on this? How do I make them see my pov?

Thanks

Here's some FDA guidance that will put some teeth with your argument

https://www.fdareade...or-how-to-write

"

Except for infant formula, product dating is not required by Federal regulations.[1]

For meat, poultry, and egg products under the jurisdiction of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), dates may be voluntarily applied provided they are labeled in a manner that is truthful and not misleading and in compliance with FSIS regulations.[2] To comply, a calendar date must express both the month and day of the month. In the case of shelf-stable and frozen products, the year must also be displayed. Additionally, immediately adjacent to the date must be a phrase explaining the meaning of that date such as "Best if Used By." https://www.fsis.usd...-product-dating

In other circumstances, when the agency identifies a food product with labeling that is false or misleading (misbranded), it may inform the manufacturer, often in the form of a warning letter, of the violation of law and ask the firm to correct the problem. Most firms contacted by FDA about a labeling violation voluntarily comply, Roosevelt says.

Those that do not can be subject to additional legal action to remove the misbranded products from commerce. Under such circumstances, these products cannot return to the market until the manufacturers take action to correct the violations.

https://www.fda.gov/...what-label-says

https://www.fda.gov/...ropriate action.

The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act—which provides authority for FDA's consumer-protection work—requires that labels on packaged food products in interstate commerce not be false or misleading in any way. ... If a product is not labeled as required by law, the agency takes appropriate action.

I would agree, what they are doing should constitute fraud. Keep fighting the good fight

With any luck, the business they sell to will drop them once they put 2 and 2 together and they are not selling before the stamped date because they've already wilted.........most big chains won't tolerate much of that at all

Hello everyone,

 

I am a FSQA manager. Our facility grows and packages leafy greens. We ran shelf-life studies and all our varieties did really good except arugula. It hardly lasted the current best by date of 16 days.

Management has now made a unanimous decision to extend the shelf life from 16 to 18 days, and I do not have any data to back it up, and do not agree with it. On the contrary it is best till 14 days.

Are there any laws on this? How do I make them see my pov?

 

Thanks

Hi throwaway,

It is possible that "Management" have a different interpretation of "best" to yourself ?.

it all depends on the data + interpretation..