Validation period

[Yuko]

My new question...

I was in a situation the other day when I needed to translate a comment into a short text in English.
The comment was coming from a circumstance where:
A reagent is used at a lab and their researchers find the reagent becomes out of date too quickly.

Direct phrase of the comment was something like: "Validation period is too short."

What I understand about "validation period" is that it is used for documentations or services - insurances or certificates for example - rather than physical products, so I didn't do a direct translation.

What I came up with was: Use by date is too short.

And I'm not sure about the text now, for two reasons:
- Can "use by date" be used for medical products? Will it be "expiration date" instead?
- Can either "use by date" or "expiration date" be short/long?

I've found the statement "the expiration date is too short" on the net but as I think about it, "the expiration date" is a date and not a period, therefore can't be described by its "length"...?

Sorry about my long-winded question but point is:

What would be the best equivalent words of "Validation period is too short" for medical products?

Thank you for your help.

[Dr Mildr]

How about "Shelf life is too short"?

[Yuko]

Thanks for the suggestion, Dr Mildr

I had heard of "shelf life" when I posted my question but I had an image of the words as used at supermarkets etc., places actually selling products...

I've just looked up "shelf life" and found this on Wikipedia:

"Shelf life is different from expiration date; the former relates to food quality, the latter to food safety."

The article mentions "medicine" as applicable product, and I reckon reagents require "quality" rather than "safety" (unless someone swallow them ), "shelf life" sounds appropriate.

One thing has been solved and here comes another

Since "medicine" has been mentioned... what would you say, looking at safety, of a medicine's (or food's or drink's) expiration date being earlier than expectated expected, in a simple term?

[Geoff]

... expiration date being earlier than expectated ...

I'm having trouble understanding what you mean. Surely the expiration date is a date determined at the time of manufacture, is dependent on the particular product and is stamped on the product/packaging. What then do you mean by earlier than expected? Earlier than what? Expected by whom?

[Yuko]

Oh... thanks for asking, Geoff, I can see by myself that my question doesn't make sense very well, not only because of "expectated"

Let me try again...

I asked the question by going back to my first post (the top on this page) -

A reagent is used at a lab and their researchers find the reagent becomes out of date too quickly.

Direct phrase of the comment was something like: "Validation period is too short."

To relate my two posts:
expiration date being earlier than expected = becomes out of date too quickly

To answer your question:
Earlier than what? = expiration date that was expected or desired by users
Expected by whom? = users


Since the comment in my native language, mentioned above

something like: "Validation period is too short"

can be used for medicine, food or drink (in my language); I wondered what you would say that in English.

And I'm asking this based on the following:
-"Validation period" is not suitable words for medicine, food or drink (if my understanding is right).
-"Shelf life" relates to quality (according to Wiki).
-"Expiration date" relates to safety (ditto).
-I'm looking at "safety".
-"Expiration date" can't be "short" or "long".

So... after a long question (again ), summary would be:
In term of quality aspect: "Shelf life is too short".
In term of safety aspect: ??

Hope I managed to make it clearer (God knows...)

[Dave]

I think validation period is just the wrong term, even if it somehow got translated that way. I think that a validation period is the period of time that something (or someone?) is being validated or checked out to be true or effective.

The shelf life of a product, whether it's medicine, food, drink, chemicals (like your reagent), or other products (like an elastomeric (rubber) gasket), is the length of time following production that it remains effective or safe to use. The expiration date is the date of the last day of the shelf life. We (here in the US) have on many of our food and drink products a sell by date when the grocer should remove them from the shelf and/or a use by or best if used by date which acts as a guide to the consumer in his home. Medicines have an expiration date. I'm of the opinion that many of these are set shorter/earlier than they need to be, but the manufacturer (and his lawyer), encouraged or mandated by the government, play it safe.

Shelf life often is related to how the product is stored including conditions of temperature, humidity, light, radiation, etc.

In the case of your reagent, perhaps what is meant is that it doesn't last as long as the lab people want it to. So, "the shelf life is too short" or "the expiration date is earlier than desired (or required)" may be what you're looking for.

A solution may be to purchase smaller quantities of the reagent more often and rotate the stock.

Once in church, the leader announced that so-and-so's mother "was able to come home from the hospital sooner than they had hoped" when he clearly meant expected!

[Yuko]

I see... "Validation period" means not what I thought it meant (another lesson!).
"The term of validity" may be closer...? (but this is not important.)

And yes, what I was looking for does mean:

"the expiration date is earlier than desired (or required)"

I was hoping to find a simpler term (short text) like "shelf life is too short" but well... sometimes an expression in one language just can't be translated into English without an nuance... and vice-versa

As for a solution... I am not in a position to give them one but I do agree with yours Dave

[Paul Doherty]

What about "Validity period is too short" or "Useful life is too short"?

(And, to further confuse, Americation products have an "Expiration date" but UK products would have an "Expiry date".)

[Yuko]

Would the word "validity" be applicable for medicine, food or drink...?
(or: medicines, foods or drinks...? ?)

[Paul Doherty]

I think so, in the context of quasi-legal dates. After all, after the expiry date has passed the reagent might still be usable, even useful, might be active, and could (possibly) be calibrated or even (unlikely but just possible) validated.

I suppose another possibility would be "expires too soon" or "expires too quickly".

[Dave]

May 5, 2009 21:02:23 GMT Paul Doherty said:

I suppose another possibility would be "expires too soon" or "expires too quickly".

To me, Paul, this sounds as though a longer useful life was expected (advertised?), but this particular batch didn't live up to expectations. This is in contrast to what is desired (or required) by the users.

[Yuko]

May 5, 2009 21:02:23 GMT Paul Doherty said:

After all, after the expiry date has passed the reagent might still be usable, even useful, might be active, and could (possibly) be calibrated or even (unlikely but just possible) validated.

That was very interesting, Paul, to understand of course and particularly to read English!
So much to learn from this forum ever since my Day 1　

[Paul Doherty]

May 6, 2009 6:33:36 GMT Dave said:

May 5, 2009 21:02:23 GMT Paul Doherty said:

To me, Paul, this sounds as though a longer useful life was expected (advertised?)...

I think it would depend on context, Dave. It certainly could mean that, but if I said to someone "why didn't you like it?" and they said "it expired too soon", I'm not sure it would necessarily be my first interpretation.

[Marion]

I used to work for Glaxo Pharmaceuticals and from the context I think I would have said "It has too short a shelf life" - a bit clumsy, but it conveys the correct meaning, I think.

[Tone]

>I would have said "It has too short a shelf life" - a bit clumsy, but it conveys the correct meaning, I think. <

I think likewize!
(A good way of expressing it.)

Or even, "its shelf-life is too short".

Tone