Interpreting date codes will give you a better idea of the canned food quality.
Companies that produce canned goods with a long shelf life often choose to encode the date of expiration. In the absence of a best if used by or best if purchased before date, there is more you can do than just guess about the quality of the food. A little more investigation and research can give you insight into when the product will decrease in quality. Learn to interpret the date codes printed on canned goods so you use the older cans before they degrade or spoil.
Instructions
1. Hold the can under a bright light and search the surface for an alpha-numeric code or a number sequence. Codes are often printed on the underside of the can, but may be anywhere, even hidden beneath the label. Codes may be very small and easier to read under a magnifying glass.
2. Check the website MealTime.org (see Resources for a link) for can code guidelines for several manufacturers. If you can't find the formula there, visit the website for the company that manufactures the canned goods and see if there is any information in Frequently Asked Questions about expiration codes. Contact the company management directly by e-mail if the information is not available on the site.
3. Interpret the code based on the information obtained in Step 2. Some companies use A for January, B for February, all the way to L for December. Others may represent the months with a 1 for January, 2 for February, then a 9 for September, a 0 for October, an N for November and a D for December. The year is often represented by a single digit, like 2 for 2012. The order of the code and how it is deciphered varies greatly between companies so guessing is often a waste of time.
4. Keep a log of every canned good date coding system that you are able to find information on so you can apply the formula to other products from the same manufacturer.
Tips Warnings
Write large visible dates on the labels of canned goods with a permanent marker. This will help you stay organized and use canned goods before they expire.
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