The Retailer's Attitude Survey on the Shelf Life of Food Products

Abstract

The survey of retailers on food shelf life in Bangkok and metropolitan was conducted on three groups of 200 retailers (100 local retailers, 30 supermarkets and 70 convenience stores). The questionnaire were asked on three main topics: the cause of spoilage during distribution and selling, the factors that retailers used for consideration of food product shelf life and types of food products which have shorter or longer shelf life than that of true food product shelf life. The result showed that 95% of retailers knew the causes of spoilage, time at which retailers took out food products from shelf depending on the expiration date on the label. In case of slow turnover, most retailers would take food product from shelf when food product was spoiled, which might be before or after expiration date shown on the label. Spoilage during selling was caused by disappropriated storage and prolonged shelf display. Food products that had longer or shorter shelf life than that of true shelf life were due to not only on types of food product but also on types of retailer which had different storage conditions.