Ever wonder if you can send a product close to their expiry dates. Here is the explanation from Amazon.
Expiration-dated product definition
Amazon considers any product with a shelf life, or that loses effectiveness with time, to be subject to expiration, even if an expiration date is not indicated on the product packaging.
Products subject to expiration include but are not limited to:
- Any product that has an expiration date printed on the product or its packaging
- Consumable products such as potato chips, tea leaves, and nutritional supplements, for human or animal consumption
- Topical products such as skin creams, soaps, shampoos, hair sprays, and cosmetics that are intended for human or animal use
- Cleaning products such as disinfectant wipes, cleaning sprays and solutions, and detergents
- Products that include components that can expire, such as a coffee machine that is sold bundled with coffee
Shelf life requirements for expiration-dated products
At the time of check-in at the fulfillment center, all products must have a remaining shelf life that allows sufficient time for the product to be consumed in full plus an additional 90 days. For example, a bottle of supplements with 240 daily servings must have a remaining shelf life of 240 days plus an additional 90 days at the time of check-in at the fulfillment center.
The table below lists products that Amazon considers subject to expiration, along with their respective shelf-life guidelines.
| Product type | Minimum arrival time at FC before product expiration |
|---|---|
| Baby & Infant | 90 days |
| Baking Supplies | 90 days |
| Beverages | 90 days |
| Boxed Meals | 90 days |
| Canned Goods | 250 days |
| Cereals | 150 days |
| Condiments/Spreads/Cooking | 100 days |
| Foreign Foods | 120 days |
| Gift Baskets & Hampers | 70 days |
| Pasta & Grains | 130 days |
| Cooking Sauces | 100 days |
| Snacks & Desserts | 70 days |
| Chocolate | 90 days |
| Boxed Chocolate | 90 days |
| Sweets | 90 days |
| Desserts | 90 days |
| Condiments | 200 days |
| Spreads | 180 days |
| Oil, Vinegar | 100 days |
| White Bread & Similar | 90 days |
| Naan, Breads, Chapatis & Pappadums | 60 days |
| UHT Milk & Similar | 60 days |
| Juices | 90 days |
| Water | 250 days |
| Soft Drinks | 120 days |
| Tea | 300 days |
| Coffee | 150 days |
Labeling expiration dated products
Expiration-dated products must follow these labeling requirements.
- All ingestible products (including animal products) must be clearly labeled with an expiration date or manufacturing date. Exceptions to consumable products are listed below. Lot numbers alone are insufficient.
- All baby food and baby formula products must have a clearly labeled expiration date.
- Any expiration date must be clearly labeled . A best before (end) or best-by and used by date is considered the equivalent of an expiration date.
- Any manufacturing date must be clearly labeled. A manufacturing date is the equivalent of a production date.
- All medical devices must have expiration dates. They must be clearly labeled using YYYY-MM-DD format.
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For products other than medical devices, acceptable date formats are:
- MM-DD-YYYY
- MM-YYYY
- Numeric date formats are preferred. However, dates with an alphabetical abbreviation for the month (for example, DD-JAN-YYYY) are also acceptable.
- All case packs, multi-packs, and display boxes must have the expiration date on the box or bundle, as well as on each individual item inside the box or bundle.
- Do not conceal the original expiration date or other information on the product packaging (such as ingredients, drug facts, net contents, or distributor information).