<p>I learned today that companies send their coffee to Keurig to be roasted, packaged, and distributed. Keurig decides the Best By date.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-13T19:53:28.887Z
2024-06-13T19:53:28.887Z
Tim
<p>I would like to know if companies who distribute their coffees in K-cups are subject to any contractual legal restrictions relating to the maximum number of days they can set as their coffee's &quot;Best By&quot; date. Are they free to say anything they want in that regard, or does Keurig contractually enforce a maximum, to protect the brand reputation?</p>
<p>FWIW, the basis for my question, as a coffee-snob who roasts his own coffee and who won't buy &quot;artisan&quot;-roasted beans if the bag doesn't explicitly state the &quot;roast date&quot;,  is that I had some really delicious k-cup coffee recently, so the freshness-preservation technology can work. But that is more of an aberration than a rule, and I suspect it's that these Best By dates are subject to grotesque exaggeration.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-07T17:26:14.583Z
Normally on consumables the 'best buy' date is very conservative (canned goods, unopened bags of salad, etc.). I suspect that remains the case for K-cups and the like. There is no reason to grotesquely exaggerate, and every reason to be conservative (worst case the consumer throws out 'old' product and buys more product).
Jon Custer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-13T19:55:01.893Z
I got an 80-count box of k-cups earlier this month (June 2024) with a Best By date in late November of 202**5**.
Tim
<keurig><freshness>
Are there any brand legal requirements for Keurig K-cup respecting maximum future date of Best By date stamps?
Tim
# Are there any brand legal requirements for Keurig K-cup respecting maximum future date of Best By date stamps?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-06-07)

I would like to know if companies who distribute their coffees in K-cups are subject to any contractual legal restrictions relating to the maximum number of days they can set as their coffee's "Best By" date. Are they free to say anything they want in that regard, or does Keurig contractually enforce a maximum, to protect the brand reputation?

FWIW, the basis for my question, as a coffee-snob who roasts his own coffee and who won't buy "artisan"-roasted beans if the bag doesn't explicitly state the "roast date", is that I had some really delicious k-cup coffee recently, so the freshness-preservation technology can work. But that is more of an aberration than a rule, and I suspect it's that these Best By dates are subject to grotesque exaggeration.

**Tags:** keurig, freshness

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Normally on consumables the 'best buy' date is very conservative (canned goods, unopened bags of salad, etc.). I suspect that remains the case for K-cups and the like. There is no reason to grotesquely exaggerate, and every reason to be conservative (worst case the consumer throws out 'old' product and buys more product).  
> **username_0**: I got an 80-count box of k-cups earlier this month (June 2024) with a Best By date in late November of 202**5**.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2024-06-13. Score: 1

I learned today that companies send their coffee to Keurig to be roasted, packaged, and distributed. Keurig decides the Best By date.


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