How To Read Mars Candy Expiration Codes
Posted by in Product InformationAs a follow-up to our post explaining how to read expiration dates off of Nestle candy packaging, here is some information about Mars’ dating system. This information will be useful both to our vending customers — who purchase candy bars individually from our snack machines — and to our regular office customers, to whom we deliver candy by the box.
Mars prints a manufacture code on its products. It contains one digit, representing the year, and two digits, representing the week. The product is then considered “fresh” for one year following that manufacture date. Any other digits or characters that you see on the packaging are other codes that do not refer to the shelf life of the product. The same code should appear on both the box and on the individual candy bar or bag.
Manufacture Codes: 010 = 2010, 10th Week... 005 = 2010, 5th Week... 829 = 2008, 29th Week (1 Year Shelf Life)
Note: Mars brands that we sell include, but are not limited to: 3 Musketeers, Dove, M&M’s (including Peanut, Peanut Butter, Almond, etc.), Milky Way, Skittles, Snickers, Twix, and more.
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ok so what does the following code mean from my Twix bar I just bought?
953DTVCL07
Curt, I’m going to assume that Mars runs on an off schedule for their calander year (53 weeks instead of 52) and that your Twix bar was produced on the last week of 09. Considering you asked druing the last week of 2011, I’m going to say your Twix is ovear a year past its expiration. Hope you didn’t eat it!!
9 = 2009
53 = week 53
D = Thursday
T = 2nd shift
VCL (should bed “CLV”) = Cleveland
07 = Twix
VCL was a misstake so im thinking the 53 should be 52
I work here at the factory.
2009, thats about 2 years old. based on the date you posted this.
i work at a slower gastation and i cant figure out the codes. I also have a twix king size and the code is 229gsclv02……. wht does tht mean it was made in 2002? how can i read this n other candy bars in my store?
I highly doubt it was made in 2002. More likely I would read that as the 29th week of 2012.
How about 145ETCLV04
Ok mine says 106frclv04… My guess is 6th week of 2011 so I guess its bad. My son took one bite and said it was not good. Help…we just got it today.
I just brought this twix 1_26_2012. The code reads 118atclv04. The unidentifiable cacooning on it made me suspect. How old is this?
I have a milky way bar, can’t remember wher I bought it but all it says is 1 2EE and under that it reads ELZ11. Any clue?
I bought 2 Twix bars from Rite Aide They both have the same code…
144CTCLV04
I guess the 4th week of 2014? or the 44th week of 2011? Why cant they just put a date thats readable??
1=2011 and 44=the 44th week of the year. These codes are production codes, not expiration dates. So there’s no way it would refer to 2014 as that year is still in the future. Once you figure out when the product was made, then you have to know the shelf life of that product and count forward that amount of time from the production date to figure out when it expires. So let’s say Twix has a 12 month shelf life (I’m not a hundred percent sure on that). Take the production date, in this case the 44th week of 2011 and go 12 months forward. You would land on the 44th week of 2012 as the time of expiration. To figure out which month that is, take your week number, 44, and divide it by 4.33 to get 10.16. The 10 is in reference to the month and since the 10th month of the year is October then that Twix bar expires in October 2012. Don’t you love how complicated it is? XD
Can you helpme 038GRCLV09 and 118FKHKP24
thankyou!!
I found 2 bags of m & M’s, the code is 1 33B L HKP11
I can’t figure the expiration date. Thanks
1 33B L HKP11 mm
my guess 33rd week of 2011 by might be Tues if D is thrus, L is a shift other then 2nd, HKP a location of some sort and the 11 is for some kind of m&m that is not peanut butter as all my PB oes end in 14 irregardless of the other values and the pretzel one ends in 23
038GRCLV09 and 118FKHKP24
38th week of 2010 (unless it is over 10 yrs old from 2000) g is the 7th letter so if D is thurs that would make g be sunday, R shift is also not 2nd, clv is cleveland and 09 s/b the kind of candy you bought
18th wk of 2011 f is 2 letters after d so saturday is 2 days after thurs (still fits pattern) K well there is yet another shift (i don’t feel confident in the shift letters) HKP the same location as the dude above and 24 is a candy type
144CTCLV04
44th week of 2011, getting close to end of year, C for wed, T for the 2nd shift clevelend and 04 for the twix, mabye a different kind, like pb twix or dark choc or carmal since 07 was also twix
1 2EE and under that it reads ELZ11 milky way
Elz for the location and 11 must be milky way of some sort
2nd wk of 2011 E for friday, E for a 4th shift
118atclv04 twix
18th wk of 2011 A for monday, T for 2nd shift, Cleveland and the same type of twix as 2 lines above
this is kind of fun, now that i have had practice i can try to id the candy on my pantry shelves and put it in order with the oldest on top/front so that gets eaten first. then i won;t end up with old candy i can keep it rotating.
how about 126DMHKP52 ??
how about 04.11.12?
april 11 , 2012 or november 4, 2012?
OK, so I just got a pack of M&M’s with code 117EKHKP03, which I assume means 17th week of 2011, which is why the candy inside tastes awful.
I doubt the taste has anything to do with the date. M&M’s hold up pretty well. But take them back to wherever you got them for a refund!
I bought a twix bar out of the vending machine at work Dist. By Avi vending it was terrible the caramel was separated from the cookie and hard and chewy!!! The only code was 134BTCLVO3 just wondering how old the 80 cent candy bar was!!!! Thanks:)
“134″ suggests a manufacture date of the 34th week of 2011, as outlined above. Of course, this almost certainly has nothing to do with the condition your candy was in. Sounds like it got damaged or possibly melted and re-hardened.
Who knew how many random people from around the country this blog post would attract?
Have some m&m s dark chocolate stored in airtight (& no airconditioning) container w/ date code of 725FRCLV06 bought after halloween – still tastes good after 5 years.
208FRCLV01 IS ON MY M&MS WHATS THE DATE?? ARE THEY EXPIRED?
I got a dove bar out of an old vending machine at work and it read 217BFELZ03 and the chocolate was light brownish/white as an old piece of chocolate would be. Could this possibly be made in 2002?????? How could I tell the difference between ’02 and ’12?
Discoloration of chocolate is a common result of temperature change. At some point in transport, in a warehouse, or in the vending machine itself, the chocolate probably warmed to the point where it began to melt, then it hardened again when it cooled. This has nothing to do with age. It’s extremely unlikely that you found a candy bar from 2002 (almost certainly 2012).
Thanks for posting this info.
Just found a 14oz bag of Halloween themed m&m’s in a box from my storage unit. Couldn’t remember when I bought them, but figured it was 5-6 years ago. Ate a few, and they were still good. After finishing the bag, I decided to figure out just how old they were. The code, 621GSCLV06, indicates they were made in late May of 2006.
Sad they were abandoned for so long, but happy to have proof m&m’s stand the test of time.
Greatest candy, ever!
What’s this expiration date? 211DKHP02
Got a twix today and the code was 04DTCLV03
Is it old?
I have a small store that doesn’t get a lot of business, but I frequently check my expiration codes.
Reading through messages the code on the Mars candy product is the manufacturer date and not the expiration date, is that correct?? Usually with candy it expires a year after the manufacturer’s date. Anyways I have some Twix bars code reads 217 AR CLV 03 which is the 17th week of 2012, Shall I assume they expire the 17th week of 2013 or is the code the actual Expiration date. Reason being is that they taste funny, the caramel is a bit hard especially when I compared buying a Twix bar at a different store & wondering why it tasted so soft. The temperature in my store is nice & warm, they are never stored in a cold area.
I work at a gas station and we are having trouble with the dates on the Mars candy bars. how do you read this stamp; 236ESCLV06, we understand the the CLV is for Cleavland but the rest ????????
Thank you for your help
Is this candy old? 249 DMH KP05 Exoplain all digits please.
Thanks.
I just bought a snickers at the store that says 212DWWAC02 05 and today is 3/18/13! Very disappointed!
How do I read the code date 246CRCLV02
I purchased a Milky Way that looked and tasted like poop, or what I imagine poop to taste like. The code was 004BNY*//12. Am I going to get sick?
I just got couple from a Shelter and was 043 2010 week 43… too bad, I just checked how to read the code for this candy before eating it…last week I ate a granola bar expired in 2010,and realized it was expired after eating almost the whole thing , tasted terrible.
SHAME ON YOU PEOPLE OR COMPANIES THAT DONATE EXPIRED FOOD TO SHELTERS…WE ARE NOT ANIMALS !!!!!