Shelf-Life Study of Product with Secondary Packaging

Hi,

Should the conduct of a shelf-life study include assessment on secondary packaging such as labels, stickers, shrink wrap, etc. (integrity, readability, adhesiveness, etc)?

Mandark

I do mine on my product only, but stored in the same packaging we deliver it to customers in, though I don't assess labels, packaging, etc, only the product.

Absolutely yes 

I've never been asked to include secondary packaging in shelf life, but I could see it being a factor for goods with long shelf lives (stuff that's got 2 years).  The shelf-life on spices can be really long, and at my first job we would warehouse spices as a 3PL for well over a year.  We could see some companies using crap boxes that would degrade and crush just sitting in the racks, and that would lead to the poly liner inside having potential to tear.  Similar issues would happen even with good boxes and too much headspace, allowing weight of cases on top to crush the bottom boxes.

Secondary packaging is often overlooked but still plays a strong role in food safety and integrity.

I agree with others and say yes.  If temperature control is required to maintain shelf life labels can degrade as moisture sets in, and frozen label can peel off if you don't use the correct application.  It is always good to understand all aspects of your products throughout the shelf life and beyond.