To make sure you use them within the correct time window, it’s critical to find and understand the manufacturing date provided somewhere on the labeling of any products that expire. The manufacturing or “MFG” date tells you when the product was created, pointing you in the right direction as you determine when it will go bad. Learn what an MFG date is, why it’s important, and where to find it.
What Does the MFG Date Mean?
The manufacturing (MFG) date on a product package or label tells you when it was manufactured. This date is often labeled with the abbreviation “MFG” to save limited space on cramped product labels. The MFG date is not the same as the expiration date. If you know how long it takes a product to expire, though, you can compare today’s date to the MFG date to find out if you’re still within the product’s ideal usability window.
What Is a Manufacturing Date?
On product labeling, the manufacturing date refers to the date the product was manufactured. This information is usually provided somewhere on the product itself, but it might be listed in accompanying documents instead. Putting a manufacturing date on your products is sometimes required by law, and other times, product manufacturers simply include the date their products were created as a courtesy to customers.
How to Read an MFG Date
On product labels, the manufacturing or MFG date is usually stamped somewhere in black ink, often on the bottom of the package. Accompanied by the words “MFG date” or just “MFG,” the date is commonly provided in American standard format: MM/DD/YYYY. For certain products that last a long time, the day might be omitted, providing a format that looks like this: MM/YYYY.
Still other products may only list the year the product expires, in a format looking like: YYYY. Whichever format it’s provided in, simply look at the manufacturing date and compare it to today’s date to determine how long ago the product was made.
Why MFG Dates Matter
Providing an MFG date allows consumers to determine when it is best to use dietary supplements and other expired products, like gummies. It also helps manufacturers and resellers keep track of how recently each batch of products was created, ensuring customers receive the freshest products. Compared to an expiration date, which only tells you when the manufacturer considers a product no longer viable for use, manufacturing dates allow consumers and other interested parties to determine for themselves if a product is still within its usable window.
4 Other Manufacturing Date Codes to Know
Aside from MFG date, there are a few other terms that are important to know as you determine if products are still suitable for use:
Packaging Date
The packaging date indicates the day that a product was placed in a package, making it fully ready for sale. Sometimes marked by the abbreviation “PKG date,” this date is usually only useful to know in wholesale and logistics contexts. Consumers sometimes like to know when their products are packaged, though.
Expiration Date
The date on products that most people are most familiar with, the expiration date (EXP date) refers to the date a manufacturer has decided their products will expire. Sometimes carrying legal consequences and formulated with the guidance of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), expiration dates inform consumers when products become useless or even dangerous.
Best Before Date
Less definitive than a product’s expiration date is its “best before date,” the date at which the manufacturer has determined the product loses a reasonably considerable portion of its original value. Often listed in addition to a firmer expiration date, the best before date helps consumers stop using products before they go bad.
Use-by Date
“Use-by date” usually has the same meaning as “best before date,” meaning it indicates when the product will likely start losing some of its benefits or value. Rather than indicating that the product has expired or become dangerous, the use-by date provides gentler guidance regarding when to discontinue use of a product.
Caution: Don't Use Medicine and Supplements with Old MFG Dates
MFG date matters most in the context of dietary supplements or potent medicines that either become inert or take on new (potentially dangerous) properties when used outside their intended consumption windows. It’s generally not a major issue to consume a supplement when it’s just a few months expired. Seriously expired medicine, however, can be seriously dangerous or even fatal.
Some examples of potential effects of taking expired supplements or medicines include:
- Digestive discomfort
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Blurred vision
- Loss of consciousness
- Toxic shock
- Death
Expired supplements are a danger to anyone in a home, school, or workplace. The best practice when disposing of expired supplements is to simply throw them away as soon as they have passed outside the best-use window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now that you know what “MFG date meaning” refers to, let’s dive a bit deeper into the term and how it’s used in the world of supplements and beyond:
Can I use a product if it's past the MFG date?
Yes, it is fine to use a product past its stated MFG date since “MFG date” just refers to “manufacturing date.” So, any time you use a product will be past its manufacturing date. The date at which you want to stop using a product is either is best-use date or date of expiration.
What if my product doesn't have an MFG date?
Not every product will have an MFG date since not every manufacturing process is the same. After you’ve scoured a product’s labeling to make sure it doesn’t have a manufacturing date code, contact the manufacturer to see if they can help you track down the information that you need. You might find in the end, however, that simply knowing when the product expires is good enough.
What is the shelf life of vitamins and supplements?
How long a vitamin or supplement lasts on the shelf depends on its production process, the raw materials that were used, and a variety of other factors. Supplement packaging usually features shelf life information, but you might need to look at the manufacture date to determine whether your vitamins are still usable. Look on the supplement bottle for a best-by date or an expiry date, which supplement manufacturers use to specifically point out the shelf lives of their vitamin products.
Recap: What Is MFG Date and What Does It Mean?
Now that we’ve reached the end, let’s summarize what we’ve learned:
- MFG date or manufacturing date refers to the date a product was manufactured
- It is not the same as an expiration date, which indicates when a product expires
- Rather, it tells you when the product was made, which then allows you to determine whether it’s still usable
- The manufacturing date is usually listed somewhere on a supplement’s packaging
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This information may only be available online or directly from the manufacturer, however
In the end, knowing the manufacture date of your supplement product helps promote proper safety and prevents consumers from inadvertently buying old products. Adding a manufacturing date to your product labeling is a simple courtesy that can go a long way — both with consumers and with government regulators.
