Understand label statuses

Every expiry label follows a simple path: it starts as a draft, becomes active once printed and, when it leaves circulation, moves to history. Understanding these statuses makes the label list easy to read.

The life cycle

• Draft — the label was created but has not been printed yet. It exists only as preparation: you can edit it or delete it before printing.
• Active (printed) — as soon as the label is printed, it becomes active. This is the “live” label, stuck on the product, counting down its shelf life.
• History — when the label leaves use, it is closed out and moves to history. The closeout can be one of three kinds:
  • Consumed — the item was used.
  • Discarded — the item was thrown away.
  • Expired — the shelf life ran out. This closeout is automatic: when the expiry date and time arrive, the label turns Expired on its own, with no one having to mark it.

Active and History in the list

The Labels screen splits labels into two tabs:

• Active — the drafts and printed labels still in use, grouped by product, with whatever expires first at the top.
• History — the labels already closed out (Consumed, Discarded and Expired).

The validity state is not the same as the label status

When you create a label, you choose the food’s validity state — Primary, Opened, Prepared, Thawed or Cooked — and that is what sets the shelf life. This is different from the label status (draft, active, history), which describes where the label is in its life cycle.