A quick guide to Best Before Dates for beverages #TuesdayTips

How do I know what Best Before Date to put on my drink?

Ensuring the safety and quality of beverages is of the highest priority. Determining the Best Before Date (BBD) that should be stamped on each product is an important step in this procedure. As a commitment from the manufacturer to provide a delightful and fresh drinking experience, the BBD does more than only act as a guide for consumers. This blog post will discuss the things to think about when figuring out your drink's Best Before Date, enabling beverage producers to make wise choices and maintain the greatest levels of quality. A reminder that there is a difference between a BEST BEFORE date and a USE BY date for drinks. This information is provided as a guide only, on determining your BEST BEFORE date (not your USED BY date). 

What is Best Before Date? 

When stored properly, a food should maintain its maximum quality, flavor, and nutritional content for the duration indicated by the Best Before Date. It is a manufacturer's guideline for optimal freshness, not a safety date.

In order to avoid consuming things past their optimum condition and to make educated purchasing decisions, consumers rely on the Best Before Date. Therefore, in order to preserve consumer satisfaction and trust, beverage manufacturers need to provide precise and trustworthy Best Before Dates.

Factors Affecting the Best Before Date 

The following factors are taken into consideration while establishing a beverage's Best Before Date:

• Product Composition: The beverage's shelf life is mostly determined by the ingredients it contains. The stability and shelf life of the product can be impacted by parameters such acidity, sugar content, alcohol concentration, and preservatives. 

• Packaging Material: The beverage's susceptibility to deterioration and spoiling can be affected by the type of packaging material used. When determining shelf life, variables including exposure to light, permeability of oxygen, and moisture resistance must be considered.

• Storage Conditions: Maintaining the freshness and quality of beverages requires proper storage. The shelf life of the goods can be affected by conditions including temperature, humidity, and light exposure, which can speed up spoilage. To guarantee the highest quality, manufacturers must to give customers detailed storage guidelines.

• Microbiological Safety: Maintaining product safety and extending shelf life depends on managing microbial development. Aseptic packaging, pasteurization, and good sanitation procedures can all reduce the risk of microbial contamination and increase the shelf life of the product. 

• Quality Testing: To verify the product's shelf life, comprehensive quality testing and stability studies must be performed. The product's stability can be better understood and a suitable Best Before Date can be established with the aid of microbiological analysis, accelerated aging tests, and sensory assessments. 

Identifying the Best Before Date

Use these procedures to find your beverage's Best Before Date:

• Product Testing: To determine how long a product will last in different storage settings, do thorough quality testing and stability studies.

• Take Regulatory Requirements into Account: Comply with regulatory directives and labeling specifications pertaining to Best Before Dates and shelf life statements.

• Product Characteristics: When determining the Best Before Date, consider the microbiological safety, storage needs, and content of the beverage as well as the kind of packaging.

• Consult your flavour house or liquid development partner: If you're working with some flavour boffins to nail your liquid brief, these smart folks can help you understand the impact of your ingredients and how they affect the shelf life of your product.

• Lean on the side of caution: To guarantee consumer satisfaction and safety, take the conservative route and establish a shorter Best Before Date.

• Monitor and Update: To determine whether the Best Before Date is accurate, evaluate the product quality and customer feedback on a regular basis. Then, make any required adjustments.

Beverage makers may ensure that their goods are enjoyed by consumers at their peak freshness and quality by carefully weighing these elements and adhering to best practices, which will help them develop accurate and trustworthy Best Before Dates. 

Keep in mind that the Best Before Date represents a dedication to quality and customer satisfaction, not just a number or legal requirement. 

If you aren’t confident in accurately identifying your product’s BBD, we recommend chatting with a professional qualify and food safety officer who can help guide you. Please reach out if you’d like a referral.