I am just generalizing this post because this goes out to every company producing perishable goods.

 

This chocolate ate last Tuesday tasted weird. It has no expiration date on the cover, nor the individual chocolate bars! It only has a production code which should mean something to them, but c’mon, us consumers don’t get to know instantly what your production codes mean…

 

I bought this from a department store. I usually check the expiration dates all the time and I did not make any exception to this product.  It did not have any.  I was so craving for this chocolate so I just bought it.  I mean, what the heck.  I supposedly should trust that they don’t sell expired products because if not, they’re the law will get them… right?  So, I bought the thing.  It looks new and good… and yummy! so I grabbed it and paid for it.

 

Back home I took one mini bar,  the peanuts tasted kinda weird, but the chocolate tasted fine.  Overall, it didn’t taste that bad. I ate 3 and ignored the weird peanut taste.  My tummy ached a few hours after I ate it (Vince was witness)… I’m not sure if that was really the cause (I also ate some other stuff) so I am not saying that I am entirely sure that my tummy ached because of it.  I’m just saying, it’s possible that this product is expired so I went checked the pack again – no expiration date.

 

I studied Cost Accounting before and I know that they must have a production code printed with the wrapper and so I looked for it. I found the production code outside the main wrapper and to the individual candy bars.  It should mean something more so I made a research and I found this article:

 

I found out that the digit indicating the year of production is the number "0" as in zero… So that could mean 2000 or 2010… I’m more inclined to think that it is made in 2010.  If so, they are not yet expired because chocolates have at least 2 years before they expire.  I’m saying, only the peanuts tasted bad.  The chocolate tasted fine.  But my point is:

 

How am I sure because there was no expiry date???

 

Right now, brands are very focused on their new marketing strategies.  I just do hope we don’t forget the basics such as putting expiration date on the stuff you are selling.

 

To all you guys, be a smart consumer.  Always check for expiration dates.  Don’t just trust the supermarket, it doesn’t have a brain – you do!  I know you might forget, but if you do this often like me, it will become a good habit.  I had a couple or three instances before reporting to the department store head that they had expired products on their shelf.  My mistake here is, I should have asked for the expiration date if I really wanted to buy the thing.  Anyhow, in case you encounter a product without an expiry date and you want to check out the manufacturing date instead through their production code, check out the website above.

 

In case you have any idea on any law or government regulation regarding expiration codes on the products, please do let me know by commenting below… I am not informed, so I would appreciate being aware with my readers.

*poof*