Nutraceuticals & Functional Foods worked example

Shelf-Life Loss with monthly expiry or write-off rate of 200 units / month: a worked example in nutraceuticals & functional foods

This worked example runs the shelf-life loss numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: monthly expiry or write-off rate of 200 units / month instead of the typical 400 units / month. Estimate the value of finished supplement stock lost to expiry over an exposure window, so planning and finance can size shelf-life write-off risk.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Monthly expiry or write-off rate: 200 units / month (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 400)
  • Exposure window: 6 months (held at the documented default)
  • Cost per unit: 4.5 $ / unit (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Units expired or written off = monthly expiry or write-off rate × exposure window.
  • Shelf-life loss value works out to 5,400 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Units expired or written off works out to 1,200 units at these inputs.
  • Exposure window works out to 6 months at these inputs.
  • Cost per unit works out to 4.5 $ / unit at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where monthly expiry or write-off rate sits at 400 units / month and the headline result is 10,800 $, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 5,400 $.
  • Use it when sizing obsolescence reserves, evaluating run-size or demand-planning changes, or reviewing slow-moving SKUs. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Shelf-life loss value: 5,400 $ (headline result)
  • Units expired or written off: 1,200 units
  • Exposure window: 6 months
  • Cost per unit: 4.5 $ / unit

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Shelf-Life Loss calculator, set monthly expiry or write-off rate to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.