Why do our broths don’t have a best before date?

by | 18 November 2020 | FAQ products

We are frequently asked this question and, since we consider that you deserve a detailed explanation, we thought that it would be best to cover it in a blog post instead of a short answer in the FAQ section.

One of the most important aspect we aimed to reach during our research and development (R&D) for our broths was the conservation mode. We wished to offer quality broths that wouldn’t need to be kept frozen in order to free up space in our clients’ freezers.

Many retailers have limited freezer space, and some don’t even own freezers. With that in mind, we oriented our R&D for shelf storable broths.

Our procedures and tests had us confirm that canning in glass jars would be the best and safest preservation form for our broths. This process was developed under supervision of an expert in commercial sterilization in order to certify the safety of our products.

Our consultant confirmed that, since our broths are sterilized, their preservation term is unlimited. This means that they don’t have any expiration date.

But, why not determine an expiration date?

You may ask yourself on what basis we can affirm that our broths don’t have any expiration date. The answer is quite simple but often unknown. In glass jar canning, it’s the vitamins that tend to degrade themselves over time, but since our broths do not contain any vitamins, they don’t degrade themselves. However, as for any canned product, their freshness is better when they are consumed before a certain time.

For this reason, we decided to not specify an expiration date. We did, however, establish a specific code when identifying our lot production. If you relate to the lot sticker on the jar, we can easily know the date the lot was produced.

We are well aware that it is not obvious for you to decode this “secret code” so, here’s what you can do to make sure you have an efficient turnover of our products on your shelves : you should always prioritize, for a same product, the smallest lot number before switching to the next lot.

For now, we have no intention of adding an expiration date to our broths. Glass jars are the most hermetic containers on the long term. This is not to say that we will not change our mind should it become compulsory to add such a date and we are listening to your suggestions to make things easier for you.

Anyway, should there be an expiration date, it would be fixed 3 years after canning as it is the case for most glass jar canned products we encounter on the human market. Nonetheless, the broth could be consumed 10 years after canning and still be good. However, we hope you will use it well before such a time.

What about conservation once the jar is opened?

Obviously, unlimited conservation time applies only to unopened jars that are still sealed. Once opened, the content should be refrigerated and should ideally be used within 3 days since there are no preservatives added to our broths. Otherwise, you can freeze the remaining broth and we recommend that you do so in serving size portions in ice molds. This will make it easier for future servings.

Does this apply to our other products?

All the information and instructions mentioned above apply only to our broths. Our Fermented veggies have a “Best Before:” date because they are rich in vitamins.

If you have questions concerning our products, please feel free to contact us.