If you’ve ever looked at the label of a supplement or vitamin, you may have noticed the “MFG Date.” What does it mean, and why should we care?
“MFG Date” stands for Manufacturing Date, and indicates when the supplement was manufactured. This is different from the expiration date, which is the date after which the product stops being used. For the manufacturer, it’s important to deliver the product to the consumer before the safe period ends. For the consumer, the expiration date shows that the product is safe to use.
In this guide, we’ll break down what the MFG date means, why it’s important to your health, and the risks of using expired supplements.
What Does MFG Date Mean?
“MFG Date” stands for “Manufacture Date.” It refers to the exact date the supplement was manufactured and bottled. For example, a label that says “MFG 09/21/23” means the supplement was manufactured on September 21, 2023.
Unlike expiration dates, which indicate when a product may lose its potency or no longer be safe to use (often labeled “Best Before” or “Use By”), MFG dates help you gauge the freshness of a supplement. Most supplements are good for 2-3 years from the date of manufacture, but liquid supplements and probiotics typically have a shorter shelf life of 12-18 months.
Knowing the MFG date enables you to choose fresher products. It also helps retailers manage inventory.
The Significance of Using MFG Date
The manufacturing date tells you about several crucial aspects of vitamins or supplements. That makes it very noteworthy.
Some of these aspects are:
1. Potency
Nutritional supplements, including vitamins, lose potency or effectiveness over time. Knowing the date of manufacturing helps you estimate their freshness. The fresher the products, the more fruitful they are for health.
2. Safety
Supplement ingredients can deteriorate and become hazardous if consumed past their allowable time. Thus, the date of manufacturing aids in preventing the purchase of outdated products for your safety.
3. Warranty and Returns
There may be instances when a supplement works differently than expected. Knowing the date of manufacturing can aid in finding out the reason. It could be not far off from the end of its peak use period. That can aid in dealing with product warranties and returns.
Other Date Codes to Know About Supplements
Expiration Date (EXP or “Use By”)
This indicates the date until which a supplement retains its full potency within the expiration date, meaning that the supplement is safe to consume as long as it is stored correctly. Unlike the MFG date, this marks the end of the product’s window of optimal usability.
Best Before (BBE or “Best By”)
The date by which a supplement is recommended to be of optimal quality (e.g., flavor, texture, or nutritional content). After this date, the product may still be safe to consume, but may be less potent. This is more lenient than the expiration date and is common with shelf-stable supplements.
Packaging Date
This indicates when the supplement was bottled or packaged. This helps track when the product was sealed and ready for distribution.
Be careful! Taking expired supplements and medications is risky!
Taking expired supplements or medications, such as vitamins, minerals, or prescription drugs, can pose a significant health risk. Supplements just past their expiration date might not be harmful. However, severely expired products can lose their strength or become unsafe. Consuming them may lead to bad reactions in the body. So pay attention to the product’s production date and expiration date when purchasing products, and try not to buy supplements that are close to or even expired.
Here are some of the main risks of using expired supplements or medications:
- Stomach upset and diarrhea
- Constipation
- Dizziness
- Body allergies
- Headache
- Mouth Dryness
As you can see, a medication’s chemical makeup alters with time. Expired medications are hazardous or ineffectual.
Such medications may not be able to cure medical conditions completely. They may also comprise harmful germs like bacteria or chemical alterations that make them hazardous.
For example, expired antibiotics may not fully cure an infection. The outcome could be a more grave illness and further provoke antibiotic resistance.
Vitamins and other dietary supplements lose effectiveness with time. Their expiration date signifies when they have lost a substantial amount of effectiveness or potency.
Moreover, consuming expired supplements means that they may not fulfill nutrition needs and desirable outcomes. That may give rise to nutritional deficiencies. It’s because you may not be fully getting the nutrients in fully effective forms.
When dietary supplements are consumed for prolonged periods, bacteria can grow on powder or tablets. If that happens, they are no longer certain to bring about positive outcomes.
Expired medications can also be very harmful to children and pets if consumed by mistake. Thus, it’s essential to keep medications out of their reach. It’s also important not to purchase or consume medications beyond their expiration dates.
Dealing with expired supplements at home
Follow some simple steps to deal with expired supplements and vitamins at home.
These are:
- Bring out the expired supplements from their original containers.
- Mix the supplements with a distasteful or inedible substance. These include dirt, coffee grounds, potting soil, or kitty litter. The aim is to make it unlikely that children and animals would consume.
- Once done, put the mixture in a sealed plastic bag or leak-proof container. An example of such a container includes a detergent bottle. Then, seal the container or bag.
- Throw away the sealed container or bag with the mix into your residential trash.
- Remove all labels from the empty supplement containers. They can include manufacturing dates and other identifiable information. The goal is to make all the information unreadable.
- Then, also dispose of the empty containers.
Don’t flush the expired supplements down the toilets at all. Doing so can contaminate and spoil water and sewage systems. It may end up in rivers, lakes and other portions of the water supply.
Advantages of GMP Manufacturing
GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) are pivotal in supplements and vitamins. They play a paramount role in fabricating safe and high-quality products. The date of manufacturing label is a chief part of GMP standards. It’s essential for product authenticity and consumer safety.
Let’s examine some noteworthy advantages of GMP manufacturing relating to MFG date labels:
1. Maintaining High-Quality Standards
Under GMP guidelines, the MFG date label assures products are of the highest quality. It also helps to keep track of product consistency across varying production batches.
2. Consumer Trust
Building consumer trust and confidence is a key advantage of GMP manufacturing. It’s fulfilled when a consumer notices that a product has been fabricated under a GMP environment.
A clear manufacturing date further raises the consumer’s trust in the product’s safety and quality. The result is a robust and lasting association with the consumer.
3. Trackability of Production Batches
Under GMP guidelines, every production batch is tracked by its manufacturing date. If any quality or safety problem arises, manufacturers can rapidly recognize and recall precise batches. It’s vital to remove potentially hazardous products from the market effectually.
4. Better Inventory Management to Ensure Product Freshness
The date of manufacturing gives pivotal information about the freshness of products. It can be extremely significant for their potency and safety.
Thus, retailers and distributors can better handle inventory. It makes certain that older stock sells first within its shelf life. It’s the length of time during which a product is safe and effective to consume.
5. Meeting Regulatory Requirements
Complying with GMP standards and using the date of manufacturing label is a regulatory need. It aids in averting legal issues. It makes certain that a product is according to nationwide and international safety standards. It’s critical for the worldwide distribution of products and market access.
Thus, you must select supplements and vitamins from trustworthy manufacturers who follow GMP.
Handian Helps Produce Your Supplements
Handian Nutrition is a leader in supplement manufacturing, we produce gummies, effervescent tablets, chewable tablets, powders, and more, all formulated to order. Our products are GMP certified, and include FSSC 22000 certification, among others. View all our certifications. From sourcing to delivery, we ensure product safety and quality.
Trust Handian Nutrition to deliver safe, high-quality supplements, and worry-free after-sales service.
Conclusion
You must have gained ample understanding of MFG date meaning and significance by now.
You additionally learned about the advantages of GMP manufacturing. We also covered why the MFG date is a key part of it. We further probed expired medications and supplements and how to dispose of them at home.
Consistently check the date of manufacturing and the expiration date before purchasing supplements.