Decoding Velo Expiration Date Codes 2023: A Guide for Consumers in the USA (2024)

FAQs

How to read an expiration date code? ›

What is the standard expiration date format for foods? 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?

Luckily, the expiration date code is very simple to interpret. It contains one number, representing the year, and one letter, representing the month. Any other digits or characters you see on the packaging are other codes that do not refer to the shelf life of the product.

Most cigarettes have a Julian Date Code printed on the bottom of the pack that details when the pack was manufactured. The code is usually 6 to 7 digits long, where the first 3 numbers indicate the day of the year the pack was produced and the 2 numbers after indicate the year.

How do you interpret the expiration code on your Kellogg's brand product? The key is to understand that the expiration date is presented in “MMDDY” format — the first two digits represent the month, the next two digits are the day of the month, and the final digit is the year.

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.

There's no expiration date so to speak for cigarettes, it's just as soon as you open that cellophane, the tobacco will start to dry out and if you've ever smoked a stale cigarette, you know it.

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.

These 5 digit codes, known as "Julian dates", are easy to decipher once you know how they work. The first two digits represent the year, while the final three digits indicate the day of the year that your product was produced.

The good news is that you can still eat cereals after their 'best before end' date if they don't look, smell or taste out of the ordinary. As long as you store them properly and according to the instructions on the label, you can still finish the old box of cereals before starting a new one.

What is the date stamped on packaged cereals? ›

These dates are used on products like bakery goods or packaged cereals. The date is the last day the product can keep its best quality. After this date, the food may lose some of its freshness and nutritional value.

The unique code is printed on Kellogg's cereal, on the underside of the carton flap and you can redeem your code online via www.merlinfun.com. Entering the code is simple once on the website and customers should follow the necessary instructions.

Find the year from the first 4 digits if the number has 7 digits. Some JD will show the full year in 4 digits for added clarity. For example, if it's a 7 digit number and the first 4 digits are 1997, then that corresponds to 1997.

Barcodes do not contain expiration date information; they are used for identification and inventory purposes. To find a product's expiration date, one should check the packaging for a printed date. A barcode scanner can provide product information to then query the manufacturer for expiration details if necessary.

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 batch code consists of 6 digits and utilizes the Julian Date, the last digit of the year of manufacture, the production line, and the production shift. Example: 036521 036 = The thirty sixth day of the year, in this case February 5th.