Optimization of economic lot scheduling problem with backordering and shelf-life considerations using calibrated metaheuristic algorithms.

•Optimization of the economic lot scheduling problem with shelf life and backordering.•It is allowed to produce each item more than once in every cycle.•Allowing multiple setups leads to improving solutions.•Four metaheuristic methods GA, SA, PSO, and ABC were used to solve the problem.•Metaheuristic methods outperformed other reported procedures in the literature.