Validity rules per state

EtiquetaChef works with five validity states. Each state has its own duration rule (in hours, days or months) and can be overridden at three levels.

The five states

• Primary — sealed packaging from the supplier. Use the date printed on the package.
• Opened — after opening the original package. Usually short (3-7 days).
• Manipulated — after portioning, seasoning or prepping. Usually 24-72h.
• Thawed — after taking out of the freezer. Cannot be re-frozen.
• Cooked — after cooking. Refrigerated, usually 3-5 days.

Not every product uses every state. Raw coffee has no “cooked”; fresh fish has no “thawed”.

Rule hierarchy

The effective rule comes from the first source that defines the state:

1. Product — item-specific rule.
2. Category — category-wide rule.
3. Tenant — company default.

Edit at the most general level possible. Override at the product only when the item really differs from the category.

Best practices

• Start by copying rules from a trusted reference (ANVISA, local HACCP, FDA).
• Review rules every 6 months — operations change.
• When in doubt, prefer the more conservative rule. Better to discard 1 day early than risk it.