Purpose and Scope

This Product Expiration and Shelf Life Control Policy (the "Policy") outlines the requirements sellers must follow regarding product expiration and shelf life on TikTok Shop. This policy supplements TikTok's Community Guidelines and TikTok Shop's Seller Terms of Service (collectively, "TikTok Terms").

This policy is not intended as legal advice. For any questions regarding US laws and regulations, we encourage all users to seek independent legal advice.
This policy is updated periodically. Sellers must check this document regularly to ensure compliance with our current policy. TikTok Shop reserves the right to make changes to any policy at any time without prior notice.
This policy applies to all US-based and cross-border sellers selling in the US.

Policy Statements

All sellers must comply with this policy and the requirements outlined in our TikTok Shop Product Listing Policy, TikTok Shop Prohibited Products Policy, and TikTok Shop Restricted Products Policy.

Products that Require Expiration Date Labeling

TikTok Shop considers any product with a shelf life, or that loses effectiveness with time, to be subject to expiration, even if an expiration date is not indicated on the product packaging. TikTok Shop does not accept lot numbers as alternatives for expiration labels. Below are the products that must display an expiration date on the label:

• All Food, Beverage, and Dietary Supplement Products for Human or Animal Consumption
  • For more information on selling products in this category, refer to the TikTok Shop Restricted Products Policy.
    • Shelf-Stable Food and Beverages: Refer to the TikTok Shop Shelf-Stable Food and Beverage Policy and the Documents Required to Sell Food and Beverage Products article.
    • Dietary Supplements: Refer to the TikTok Shop Dietary Supplements Policy and the Documents Required to Sell Dietary Supplements article.
    • Pet Supplies: Refer to the TikTok Shop Pet Supplies Policy and the Documents Required to Sell Pet Supplies article.
• All Personal Care Products with Drug Labeling
  • Refer to the TikTok Shop Beauty and Personal Care Products Policy and the Guidelines For Listing Beauty And Personal Care Products article.
• Medical Devices
  • The following medical devices require expiration date labeling: medical masks, personal protective equipment (PPE) masks, blood glucose monitors, and glucose control solutions. Sellers are required to submit an image of the product label that shows the expiration date.
  • Refer to the TikTok Shop Medical Devices and Medical Supplies Policy and the Documents Required to Sell Medical Devices and Medical Supplies article.

Remaining Shelf Life Requirements for Expiration-Dated Products

Sellers must ensure that products shipped to customers have a sufficient and reasonable remaining shelf life for use or consumption. This applies to individual products, bulk items, or bundles. Additionally, food and beverage products, or any items shipped with them, must be lot-controlled and have enough time for use when received by the customer.
For Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT), please refer to the FBT Product Packaging Policy for remaining shelf life requirements.

Expiration Date Formatting

Expiration dates must be clearly visible and presented with month, date, and year, or the month and year. The month can be represented as numbers, full word, or an abbreviation. Medical devices must be labeled using YYYY-MM-DD format.
In addition, the following requirements must be met when dating products:

• The date must not cover or overlap other label information, such as ingredients, drug facts, or manufacturer details.
• For case packs, multi-packs, and display boxes, the date must be on both the outer packaging and each individual item inside.

Misleading Product Dates

Sellers are prohibited from misrepresenting the production/manufacturing or expiration dates of their products. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Product Dating Fraud: Intentionally selling old stock with outdated production/manufacturing dates.
• Mislabeling: Altering or falsifying dates on product packaging, including applying stickers over the manufacturer's original printed date.
• Deceptive Marketing: Advertising products in a manner that misleads customers about their freshness or shelf life.

We regularly review your shop’s compliance with this policy. If any violations are identified, TikTok Shop may take enforcement action at our sole discretion. This may include removing product listings, assigning violation points, or removing selling privileges. For more information on enforcement actions, refer to our Seller Enforcement Policy.
If you'd like to appeal an enforcement action, visit the Appeals section of our Seller Enforcement Policy for guidance on how to proceed.