5BT182 1121 OR 5BT 397 1321

Having been harassed for years about all of the expired food in my pantry and refrigerator, I have developed a phobia around having expired food even near my house, when my kids visit.  I usually throw out anything that is even proximal to expiration, so as to avoid the phobia that my kids have developed around eating food at my house.  I guess they have a fear of dying from unnecessary and preventable food poisoning.  That means that they investigate every consumable item before ingesting it.  

My preparation for Thanksgiving at my house includes a thorough inspection of all edibles.  I want to make sure every digestible will be kid approved.  The scrutiny was pretty easy this year until I came to the bottled tea.   I searched and searched for an expiration date, but could only find a cryptic code in a very hard to read weird font, that was printed white on light tan.  Could this be the expiration code?

Now I know that the next thing that I did sounds like I have too much time on my hands, and I want to protest loudly at this point that I do not!  I guess I could have just thrown the bottles out, but I'm on a Jason instigated budget (more about that at some other time) and I just couldn't waste the money.  So, I did the only thing that I could think of, I wrote to the tea company, asking them about their code.  Here is their response.

Every bottle of Tejava Premium Iced Tea always includes a date code which indicates the date and time the Tea was bottled. The production code is located on the label above the ingredients and sometimes stamped on the neck of the bottle itself. On the 18oz. plastic bottles the code can be found on the tamper band below the cap. For example, our code:

                         5BT 093 1512                       

indicates that the bottle was filled on April 3rd, 2015 at 3:12 pm. The first number represents the year - 2015.  All bottling in 2016 will start with a 6 (2014= 4). The second set of numbers represents a Julian calendar date, which is the 93rd day of the year – April 3rd. A letter and number represent the batch and the last set of numbers represents the time of production using a 24 hour clock – 3:12 pm.

We believe that our Tejava Premium Iced Tea tastes best within two years of bottling. Therefore, Tejava bottled on April 3, 2015, would not "expire" until April 3, in the year 2017. Tejava bottled in PET plastic has a shelf life up to 18 months.

Hmmmm...guess I have enough information, if I could only read the code, so I could decipher it.  Gregory says it is 5BT 182 1121, and I thought that I could read 5BT 397 1321. Of course, my guess is instantly recognizable as incorrect, as anyone knows that the Julian calendar only has 365 days.    If Gregory is correct, we have until 1:21pm on July 1, 2017.  Well, it is not expired and it is safe to drink.  As Staples used to say, "That was easy." 

Tea anyone?  Sigh...I put the tea out and no one drank it.

JULIAN DATE CALENDAR PERPETUAL

Day	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Day
1	001	032	060	091	121	152	182	213	244	274	305	335	1
2	002	033	061	092	122	153	183	214	245	275	306	336	2
3	003	034	062	093	123	154	184	215	246	276	307	337	3
4	004	035	063	094	124	155	185	216	247	277	308	338	4
5	005	036	064	095	125	156	186	217	248	278	309	339	5
6	006	037	065	096	126	157	187	218	249	279	310	340	6
7	007	038	066	097	127	158	188	219	250	280	311	341	7
8	008	039	067	098	128	159	189	220	251	281	312	342	8
9	009	040	068	099	129	160	190	221	252	282	313	343	9
10	010	041	069	100	130	161	191	222	253	283	314	344	10
11	011	042	070	101	131	162	192	223	254	284	315	345	11
12	012	043	071	102	132	163	193	224	255	285	316	346	12
13	013	044	072	103	133	164	194	225	256	286	317	347	13
14	014	045	073	104	134	165	195	226	257	287	318	348	14
15	015	046	074	105	135	166	196	227	258	288	319	349	15
16	016	047	075	106	136	167	197	228	259	289	320	350	16
17	017	048	076	107	137	168	198	229	260	290	321	351	17
18	018	049	077	108	138	169	199	230	261	291	322	352	18
19	019	050	078	109	139	170	200	231	262	292	323	353	19
20	020	051	079	110	140	171	201	232	263	293	324	354	20
21	021	052	080	111	141	172	202	233	264	294	325	355	21
22	022	053	081	112	142	173	203	234	265	295	326	356	22
23	023	054	082	113	143	174	204	235	266	296	327	357	23
24	024	055	083	114	144	175	205	236	267	297	328	358	24
25	025	056	084	115	145	176	206	237	268	298	329	359	25
26	026	057	085	116	146	177	207	238	269	299	330	360	26
27	027	058	086	117	147	178	208	239	270	300	331	361	27
28	028	059	087	118	148	179	209	240	271	301	332	362	28
29	029		088	119	149	180	210	241	272	302	333	363	29
30	030		089	120	150	181	211	242	273	303	334	364	30
31	031		090		151		212	243		304		365	31

FOR LEAP YEAR USE REVERSE SIDE