Q. What exactly is a manufacturing code, and how do I read it?

A. The manufacturing code is the date the product was made. It might look something like this: 4 122 420 0321.

• The first number represents the year it was made. For instance, the 4 in our example code means it was made in 2004. A number 3 would mean it was made in 2003, 2 in 2002, and so on.
• The next three numbers represent the day of the year the product was made. In our example, the 122 (or one hundred and twenty second day) is May 2 (May 3 during Leap Year).
• The third set of numbers or letters are plant codes which have nothing to do with the date.
• Finally, the last four digits represent the time displayed in military time.