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Know the Label Code!

Nobody wants to open a can of food, only to find that it's spoiled. How do you know when a product has passed its prime? Often, the codes on the cans are hard to decipher.

 

Here is a general guideline. Not all canneries use the same procedure, but it's the most common one:

 

Code reads as E719W1

 E = Month manufactured, the manufacturing year typically starts in June with A for June — in this case E = "October"

7 = Last number of the year which it was manufactured — 2007

19 = The day of the month manufactured

 W = Plant name or location

1 = Shift that the product was manufactured — in this case — the first shift of the day.

 

If you want to be positive, just call the toll free number on the package and ask for information on when it was made.

 

Never use canned foods that are rusty, bent, dented or bulging — it's a sure sign that bacteria are growing inside.

 

Published 09/12/08