Schwan's Expiration Date Decoder (2024)

FAQs

How to decipher expiration date code? ›

The standard format is MMDDYY, where “MM” refers to the month, “DD” refers to the date, and “YY” refers to the year. So if a product says 101525, it means that the product expires on October 15, 2025. Is it safe to buy food on its expiration date? Generally speaking, yes, it is safe to buy food on its expiration date.

Do they have an expiration date? There's a short and a long answer here. The short answer is that foods will keep indefinitely in a frozen state.

Sell-By Date: Refers to the last day a retailer can display a product for sale; typically a food is safe to eat for 10 days after the Sell-by Date if refrigerated properly. Use-By Date: Refers to the last day a product will maintain its optimum freshness, flavor, and texture.

Locate your can's Julian date

The last 5 numbers in that sequence will be your Julian date calendar code. In the example photo provided, the numbers are “24820.” The first three numbers identify the month and day, and the last 2 numbers identify the year this product was canned.

The first two numbers stand for the year, while the last three numbers represent the day of the year. For example, if the code was 11322, you would know that the food was manufactured on the 322 day of 2011, or November 22nd, 2011.

Ground beef can be frozen indefinitely, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, it is recommended to use ground beef within 3 to 4 months of freezing, as the quality of the meat will begin to deteriorate over time.

If kept frozen continuously, it will be safe indefinitely. Chicken may be frozen in its original packaging or repackaged. If freezing longer than two months, over wrap the porous store plastic packages with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap or freezer paper, or place the package inside a freezer bag.

In conclusion, while frozen foods offer convenience and a longer shelf life, it's important to be mindful of their expiration date and safety when consuming them. Consuming expired frozen foods can pose health risks such as food poisoning, stomach issues, and other health problems.

Most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely. In fact, canned goods will last for years, as long as the can itself is in good condition (no rust, dents, or swelling). Packaged foods (cereal, pasta, cookies) will be safe past the 'best by' date, although they may eventually become stale or develop an off flavor.

What foods can you not eat after the expiration date? ›

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, shelf-stable foods are safe to eat indefinitely and you can eat them well past their expiration date.

If the code you're reading is comprised of 6 digits, it most likely is a month-day-year code. Read these codes as MMDDYY, where “MM” refers to the month, “DD” refers to the date, and “YY” refers to the year. This is one of the more common codes that you'll see on food items.

A good rule of thumb for canned seafood, such as canned salmon or canned tuna, is that it can be safely kept in a cool dark pantry for 5 years. But really, as long as the seal remains unbroken, a tin can last nearly indefinitely.

At room temperature, beer lasts about 5 to 9 months beyond the expiration date listed on the label. In a refrigerator, beer can last up to an additional two or three years. This applies to bottled beer, cans, growlers, you name it.

Look for Expiry Information

If the barcode has the expiry date in it, you'll see it once you scan it. But often, especially with the common 1D barcodes, you'll only see a product number. This means you'll need to look it up in a system or website to find out the expiry date.

The first two digits are the last numbers of the year and the three digits after the hyphen are the day of that year. So, for instance, a Julian date of 21-001 represents the first day of the year 2021, or January 1, 2021, while a Julian date of 22-165 represents the 165^th day of the year 2022 or June 14, 2022.

Example: 036521 036 = The thirty sixth day of the year, in this case February 5th. 5 = The last digit of the year of manufacture, in this case 2015 2 = The line the product was produced on, in this case, line #2. 1 = The shift that produced product, in this case 1st shift.

The date code format shall be a four-digit number. The first two digits being the last two digits of the calendar year and the last two digits being the week of the year. This is considered the YYWW format. The first week of the year shall be considered the first week in which the first Thursday of the year falls.