If you run a restaurant, grocery store, or any business dealing with perishable goods, you know how important it is to keep track of expiry dates. One small mistake—like selling expired products—can lead to wasted inventory, lost revenue, and even serious health risks for customers.

Beyond keeping your inventory fresh, tracking expiry dates is essential for meeting quality standards like ISO certification. But doing it manually? That’s a headache. This is where a modern POS system can save you time, money, and hassle.

Let’s dive into how the right POS technology helps you stay compliant, reduce waste, and even increase customer trust.

Why Expiry Date Tracking Matters for Your Business

Managing expiry dates isn’t just about avoiding spoiled food—it’s about:

    •    Minimizing waste and saving money on lost inventory.

    •    Protecting customers from potential health risks.

    •    Ensuring compliance with food safety regulations.

    •    Boosting your brand’s reputation for quality and reliability.

Many businesses struggle with manual inventory tracking—relying on spreadsheets or even handwritten labels. This increases the risk of human error, leading to expired products slipping through the cracks.

How a POS System Helps You Track Expiry Dates

A POS system with inventory tracking features can completely change the way you manage expiry dates. Here’s how:

Automated Expiry Date Monitoring

Instead of manually checking expiration dates, a POS system automatically tracks them for you. When you receive stock, you simply input the expiry dates into the system. It then:

    •    Alerts you when products are nearing expiration.

    •    Helps you prioritize older stock for sale (FIFO method).

    •    Prevents expired items from being sold at checkout.

Real-Time Inventory Updates

With a cloud-based POS system, your inventory updates in real time. This means:

    •    You can check expiry dates from anywhere—no need to be in-store.

    •    Your team gets instant notifications when a product needs to be removed.

    •    You can track which products expire fastest and adjust orders accordingly.

Better Stock Rotation & Reduced Waste

A POS system helps you implement the First In, First Out (FIFO) method, ensuring older stock is sold before newer stock. This leads to:

    •    Less food waste and fewer financial losses.

    •    More efficient stock replenishment based on real-time data.

    •    Better control over promotions—you can discount items before they expire instead of throwing them away.

How Expiry Date Tracking Helps You Get ISO Certification

ISO certification—especially ISO 22000 for food safety—requires businesses to maintain strict inventory control and traceability. A POS system helps by:

    •    Keeping detailed records of stock levels, expiry dates, and product origins.

    •    Generating reports that show compliance with food safety regulations.

    •    Reducing human errors in tracking perishable goods.

By having a digital system in place, you can easily provide auditors with the data they need—making the ISO certification process much smoother.

Managing expiry dates is crucial for businesses dealing with perishable goods, not only to ensure product quality and customer safety but also to reduce food waste and comply with standards like ISO 22000. In the United States, food waste is estimated at between 30-40% of the food supply, with a significant portion attributed to confusion over expiration dates. 

Implementing a modern POS system with expiry date tracking can help mitigate these issues by:

    •    Automated Expiry Date Monitoring: The system alerts you when products are nearing expiration, helping to prioritize their sale and prevent waste.

    •    Real-Time Inventory Updates: With cloud-based POS systems, you can monitor inventory levels and expiry dates from anywhere, ensuring timely actions to reduce spoilage.

    •    Enhanced Stock Rotation: By facilitating the First In, First Out (FIFO) method, a POS system ensures older stock is sold before newer items, minimizing waste.

These features not only contribute to waste reduction but also support compliance with ISO 22000 standards, which emphasize strict inventory control and traceability. A lack of proper documentation and poor implementation of prerequisite programs have been identified as key barriers to achieving ISO 22000 certification. 

By integrating a POS system with robust expiry date tracking, your business can enhance operational efficiency, reduce waste, and maintain compliance with food safety standards, ultimately protecting your reputation and bottom line.

Save Time, Stay Compliant, and Boost Profits

A POS system with expiry date tracking isn’t just about avoiding expired products—it’s a tool for smarter inventory management, better customer safety, and easier compliance.

If you want to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and even qualify for ISO certification, it’s time to upgrade your system. The right POS software can help you:

    •    Track expiry dates automatically

    •    Receive alerts before products expire

    •    Optimize stock rotation to reduce waste

    •    Ensure compliance with food safety standards

Ready to take control of your inventory and boost your business’s credibility? Investing in the right POS system is the first step.