How to Determine What the Numbers & Letters on Canned Goods Mean

Canned goods typically have a longer shelf life than many other fresher foods. Fresh foods commonly use an easy-to-read expiration date formatted with the month, day and year. But figuring out the expiration date of canned goods can be more difficult. Each company typically has its own method of coding the cans. However, knowing the basic rules of these codes and the use of the letters and numbers can help you figure out when to throw out the canned goods.

Instructions

- 1
  Check with the manufacturer of the specific canned good for an explanation of what method it uses for marking expiration dates. If you cannot find information based on a specific manufacturer, use trial and error to decipher the letters and numbers.
- 2
  Note any letters in the code. In most cases, if there is a letter, it stands for a month. Some companies use the numbers 1 through 9 to signify January through September. The last three months use letters: O for October, N for November and D for December. However, some companies use the letters A through L to represent each month. So if the letters are not O, N or D, the company probably uses letters for the months.
- 3
  Evaluate the numbers and their order. On canned goods, only one number is used for the year. For instance, 2011 would be represented by a 1 and 2012 by a 2. Some companies put the year first, while others put it last. Months may also only be one number if it is January through September. Days are represented by two numbers.
- 4
  Calculate the Julian calendar date if the numbers seem unusual. The Julian method of dating assigns each date on the calendar its own number. For instance, January 1 is 1. February 1 would then be 32 because there are 31 days in January. If a company uses this method, the first number indicates the year.

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