First Expired First Out

Two identical cartons arrive in different months, and the newer carton expires sooner, so under FEFO a picker selects the newer carton first if it is otherwise eligible, even though it arrived later. The World Health Organisation defines FEFO as distributing or using identical stock with the earliest expiry before stock expiring later, and its pharmaceutical distribution guidance also calls for controls that prevent expired products being distributed.

UNICEF describes warehouse placement and dispatch decisions based partly on expiry dates, which shows why a warehouse needs expiry information attached to the physical batch and system record. Contrast FEFO with first in, first out (FIFO), which selects the oldest received stock, so if expiry dates differ from arrival order the two rules can point to different batches.

Record the correct expiry date at receipt, because a missing, illegible or mistyped label can defeat the rule before picking starts, and use a controlled process to resolve uncertain dates rather than guessing. Separate items by identity and lot, since FEFO compares equivalent products that can fulfil the same order and a different formulation, pack size or customer specification may not be interchangeable.

Use location control by putting the earlier-expiring eligible stock in an accessible pick position or guiding staff with a reliable inventory system, because a correct database without a usable physical layout creates workarounds. Set a minimum remaining shelf-life rule where applicable: a customer may require six months at delivery, and a batch expiring in three months can be unfit for that order even though it is the earliest and still in date.

Quarantine expired or suspect goods, since FEFO is not permission to sell an expired item to reduce waste and the product's storage, quality and legal requirements must be followed. Check recalls and holds before rotation, because a recalled lot may have the earliest date but must not be selected, so eligibility comes before sorting by expiry.

Plan transfers carefully, since moving stock between warehouses should preserve lot and expiry records or a receiving site cannot choose the right batch. Train pickers on exceptions, so that a worker knows how to flag a damaged label, blocked lot or insufficient remaining shelf life rather than silently substituting stock.

Audit the physical shelf with spot checks that compare the front pick position with system records, because a reversed pallet or new delivery placed at the front can undermine FEFO. Measure expiry exposure, where an illustrative at-risk stock measure is units expected to expire before forecast use under stated demand assumptions, which is a forecast, not a guaranteed write-off.

Use realistic demand, since sending short-dated stock to a slow-moving store may simply move the waste elsewhere, and the receiving site's sales rate and acceptance rules matter. Document exceptions, for example where a quality manager authorises a different batch because the earliest is reserved or cannot meet the customer's remaining-life requirement, and record the reason and approver.

Keep traceability, because batch or lot numbers link a dispatched product to supplier records and possible recalls and expiry rotation does not replace traceability, and review storage conditions too, since cold-chain failures or heat damage can make a later-expiring batch unfit and a date alone does not prove quality. Avoid broad claims across categories, because pharmaceutical rules are strict and jurisdiction-specific while a furniture accessory with a suggested date may have different controls, and for owners FEFO helps reduce avoidable expiry waste while protecting customers when date data, stock identity, eligibility, physical placement and exception controls agree.