Best Before vs. Expiry Dates
Will Not Expire Within 6 Months guarantee applies only to unopened products with "Expiry" date label, not "Best Before" date label. Opening any manufacturer sealed container introduces moisture and biological particulates from your home that void any date labels.
What is "Best Before" and "Expiry"?
Best Before dates and Expiry dates are two separate items in food-labeling, with their usage and guidelines regulated by the government. It's best to begin with the official Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Guidelines.
Food products are labeled with either a Best Before date or an Expiry date, which mean very different things. The important take-aways are:
- Food should not be eaten if the expiration date has passed. They should be discarded.
- Foods with an anticipated shelf life greater than 90 days (Torani products) are not required to be labelled with a "best before" date or storage information.
- Remember that "best before" dates are not indicators of food safety, neither before nor after the date. They apply to unopened products only. Once opened, the shelf life of a food may change.
You can identify whether your product has an "Expiry" date or "Best Before" date with the wording on the package. Torani Syrups and Sauces for example, will always have a "Best Before" date that accounts for the worst case scenario: the product is left in a warm, humid, sunlit environment such is the case with the southern states where these products are manufactured. Our storage facility on the other hand, is cool year-round, dry and has only small windows that are far away from the products. Having tested products that are up to a year-beyond the "Best Before" date, we've seen no noticeable degradation of quality or flavour.
Anecdotally, we've been told by some food packages and manufacturers that some companies create an arbitrary "Best Before" date in order to force high inventory turn-over and increase sales, which has nothing to do with the quality of the product or degradation of flavour. While we do not believe this to be the case with Torani, the labeling often causes undue stress and confusion with consumers.
CTV Report on Food Wastage and "Best Before" Dates
Consumer confusion over "Best Before" and "Expiry" dates leads to huge amounts of wasted food each year, that is perfectly safe to consume. See the report at: CTV Report on Food Waste.
What Is The Shelf Life of Torani?
Between 2-3 years for the syrups and 12 months for the sauces, per Torani's website:
Note that it's Torani (not us) who decides whether we get plastic or glass bottles.
Due to the bulk manufacturing process by the manufacturer, shipping time from the California to Canada, and the customs/brokerage process, the earliest we (or any Canadian company) will receive product is within 3 months of manufacturing. Once it arrives at your door, this typically leaves 12-18 months for the syrups, and 3-9 months for the sauces.
What Is The Shelf Life of Monin?
The "Best Before" date can be found on the neck of the Monin bottle.
The shelf life of syrups is affected by temperature (sunlight, ovens, stoves, dish washer), moisture (stove tops, kettles, dish washers, ambient humidity), air quality (dust, cleanliness, outdoor air quality, other spoiled foods) - all of which are found in abundance in kitchens, where syrups are typically stored.
Due to storage conditions being outside of our control once delivered, we consider the limit on claims to be 60 days from date of delivery to the address you provide, regardless of the date on the bottle.
That's Not Enough Time!
We realize that Canadians are a diverse group of people - that's part of what makes us great - and will enjoy the the products at their own pace. We also believe that any reasonable person can consume the products within the time frame available. These are not products that should sit on your shelf for months on end, customers should only be purchasing products that they expect to open and begin using within days of receiving. Even if not immediately consumed, the products don't "Expire" and from feedback from customers (as well as our own experience) there is no noticeable difference in quality after the "Best Before" date if they are properly stored.
It should be noted that Torani recommends consuming sauces within 6 weeks of opening.
If you can't order in bulk because it takes too long to consume the product, we offer the lowest shipping rate (under $49) of any supplier in Canada at $8.00 flat.
I Received a Product Past The "Best Before" Date
Oops! That shouldn't have left our warehouse. Log in to your email and reply to any of the emails we've sent you (with the details) and we'll get a replacement sent off.
I Demand At Least 6 Months Before The "Best Before" Date
Sorry, we can't help you. We turn over (meaning it's all new stock from the manufacturer) every 3-6 months depending on the specific product, you'll need to order direct from Torani.com and pay the cross-border tariffs/duties for anything quicker.