The next time you pick up a carton of eggs at the grocery store, take a closer look at the small numbers printed on the package. What may appear to be a random collection of codes can actually tell you something useful about when those eggs were packaged.
One of the most important markings found on many egg cartons in the United States is a three-digit number. Unlike many people assume, this number usually isn’t an expiration date.
Instead, it represents the day of the year when the eggs were packed.
The system is surprisingly simple. The number 001 represents January 1, while 365 represents December 31 in a non-leap year. So if you see 032, that means the eggs were packed on February 1. A code such as 198 represents July 17.
Once you know how to read the system, those mysterious numbers suddenly become much easier to understand.
You may also notice a code beginning with the letter “P.” This identifies the processing or grading facility where the eggs were handled. Other markings, including “Sell By” and “Best By,” have different purposes.
A sell-by date is primarily intended to help stores manage their inventory, while a best-by date generally relates more to quality than safety.
But there is an important detail many people overlook: the carton code alone cannot tell you whether an egg is safe to eat.
That depends on much more than the date printed on the package.
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