Here’s What Those Egg Carton Numbers Actually Tell You

A few years back, I made a quiche for a dinner gathering and unintentionally made everyone sick. No one ended up in the hospital, but we all felt queasy and miserable afterward, and I felt guilty since I had prepared the meal.

The problem? The eggs I used. They looked totally normal—no weird smell, no expired date—so I had no idea anything was wrong.

Eventually, I learned the real clue had been printed on the carton the whole time: the tiny three-digit Julian date. I had seen it countless times but never bothered to understand it. Those numbers show the exact day of the year the eggs were packed, which is far more accurate than the sell-by date.

Now I always check for eggs packed within the last two weeks, even if it means standing in the store comparing cartons like a detective. People stare, but after making everyone sick once, I’m not taking chances.

Right beside the pack date is the plant code—the “P” number—showing where the eggs were processed. It seems unimportant until a salmonella recall appears and you need to know if your carton is affected.

Freshness actually matters. Float tests aren’t reliable, but pack dates are. I even write the pack day and a “discard by” day on the carton. And storing eggs in the coldest part of the fridge helps them last longer.

Labels like “cage-free” and “free-range” don’t always mean what people think. For truly roaming hens, pastured eggs are the best option.

Finally, USDA grades—AA, A, and B—tell you how the eggs will cook. Fresher eggs truly taste better, and once I noticed the difference, I became picky about which ones I buy.

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