Have You Noticed These Numbers On Egg Cartons Under The ‘Best By’ Date? Here’s What They Mean...

#1

Believe it or not, a recent controversial social media post by Fresh Eggs Daily indicates that those eggs could have been sitting in the grocery store for 45 days! The poster explains his findings:

"EVERY date I saw on them was between 352-355, meaning that those eggs were put in that carton on the 352nd-355th day of last year. Add to that the 19 days so far this year, and these eggs have all been in the carton for about a month (and could have been laid up to 30 days prior to that) and check out the Sell by dates these eggs can still sit on the shelf for a few more weeks."

#2

Wow! It looks as if there is a number stamped near "Best By" date, that is called the Julian Date, which marks the day of the year that the eggs were actually placed in the carton. The number 359 means the eggs were packaged on December 25th. So if it was January 1st, then the number "1" would appear. Here it was "359" indicating December 25th. So this code reveals when the eggs were actually put in the carton.

#3

That sound like a long time to be sitting on a shelf, right? Well, while it does sound a bit startling, but it turns out eggs do have a very long shelf life, even up to several months when they are in the fridge. Normally eggs don't even have to be placed in refrigeration if they have not been commercially washed and scrubbed.

The factory farming process is what has made refrigeration the norm when it comes to buying and storing eggs. The USDA requires eggs to be power-washed due to salmonella in many of the factory farm chickens. This washing process actually takes away the natural protective barrier that an egg has when laid. Contamination leaks through the tiny egg shell pores, so they put a layer of oil on the eggs to make up for it and prevent it from drying out.

#4

People who live farms or even homesteaders state that it can be a week before they need to refrigerate their eggs, but refrigeration is always best to ensure the eggs are safe as there still may be a chance the chicken who lays them could have salmonella.

Try putting your eggs in a cup of water, with the water being above the egg. Does the egg float to the surface? This indicates that it is indeed old and has gone bad. But if it stays in the bottom, or tilts up on the side, then it's alright.

#5

Here's a video where the Julian date is inspected on cartons.