What does shelf life mean for animal feed in the warehouse?

Pet food has a best-by date, and it’s shorter than many online stores realize—especially for food without preservatives. Large packages also run out more slowly than small ones. This combination makes date management for this product line more important than for many other product groups.

The date is recorded upon arrival

Shelf life is recorded as soon as a batch enters the warehouse. This allows you to know at any given time what’s in stock and how long it will remain usable. If you do not include those dates with your shipment, that record cannot be created.

The oldest party is the first to leave

When picking orders, the batch with the shortest shelf life is selected first. Without that order, a remnant will remain at the bottom of your inventory that will gradually become unsellable while you continue to order new stock.

Large packages take longer to process

A large bag sells less frequently than a small one, but carries just as much date-related risk. When purchasing, consider the relationship between package size and sales velocity—not just the purchase price per kilogram.

You decide when you'll stop sending messages

A bag that has two months of shelf life left is technically sellable, but a customer who orders monthly won't want to deal with that. For each product group, specify the remaining shelf life beyond which you'd prefer not to ship the item.

Warned in time

Items approaching their expiration date are flagged before they reach that point, so you can mark them down, bundle them, or remove them from sale. The choice is yours; the warehouse ensures you can make that decision in time.

Storage conditions are included with the item

Some foods have specific temperature or humidity requirements. Please include this information in your product details so that the storage facility can take it into account.

Use your data to inform your purchasing decisions

Structural write-offs are almost never a warehouse problem but rather a purchasing problem. Your shelf-life overview shows where you’re buying too much or in too large quantities.

Who Oversees Animal Feed?

Animal feed is subject to regulations regarding labeling, origin, and safety, which are enforced by the NVWA. Which of these regulations apply to your product line depends on what you sell and whether you import the products yourself.

Shelf life and ordering frequency are related

In the pet food industry, a large portion of your customers place orders on a regular basis. This makes demand predictable, but it also means that products with a short shelf life must move through your inventory quickly. How recurring orders affect your inventory planning therefore helps determine the size of your purchases.