WHY DO NUTRACEUTICALS HAVE SHORT EXPIRY DATES THAN DRUGS:At first glance, it might seem counterintuitive that nutraceuticals, which are often considered more “natural” or “less refined,” tend to have shorter shelf lives (expiry durations) than synthetic or highly refined pharmaceutical drugs. But this has strong scientific and regulatory reasoning behind it:

• JAKSTAR PHARMA CHANDIGARH
  1. Nutraceuticals Often Contain Less Stable Ingredients:
    Many nutraceuticals include natural extracts, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, probiotics, and botanical components that are:

Biologically active
More sensitive to heat, humidity, oxygen, and light
More prone to oxidation or degradation
For example, Vitamin C, probiotics, or omega-3 fatty acids degrade more quickly than synthetic compounds used in many allopathic drugs.

  1. Lack of Stabilizers and Preservatives:
    Pharmaceutical drugs often contain sophisticated stabilizers, buffers, and preservatives to enhance shelf life.
    Nutraceuticals, especially those marketed as “natural” or “clean-label,” may avoid such additives — leading to:

Faster degradation
Shorter effective potency window.

  1. Packaging and Formulation Matter
    Drugs are often packaged in:

Blister packs with nitrogen flushing
Amber glass bottles
Highly controlled packaging technology
Nutraceuticals, especially in capsules, powders, or chewables, are:

More exposed to moisture and oxygen
Sometimes bulk-packaged (like in plastic jars or bottles), increasing risk of instability.

  1. Regulatory Caution:
    Unlike pharmaceutical drugs that undergo extensive stability testing under ICH guidelines for shelf life,
    nutraceuticals are:

Subject to less stringent global stability protocols
Often given conservative shelf life estimates (commonly 18–24 months) to ensure label claim potency until expiry.

  1. Claim-Based Shelf Life vs. Real-Time Stability
    For drugs, expiry is tied to safety and efficacy data.
    For nutraceuticals, it’s often tied to:

Potency maintenance (e.g., “still contains 1000 IU of Vitamin D”)
Label compliance, not necessarily safety.
Regards ,
JAKSTAR PHARMA.

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