For shoppers in Israel, kashrus is confusing at times and for consumers wishing to buy products manufactured after Pesach and not chametz that was sold, it requires knowing production codes. Reality has shown that even items labeled “manufactured after Pesach” at times have production codes showing they were made before Yomtov, and not after as indicated.
The most reliable indicator is to understand production codes printed on packaging.
The usual method is to count all the days between January 1 and December 31, each day receiving a sequential number, which is specified in the production code plus the year.
The first day after Pesach is Sunday, April 28, 2019, is the 118th day since the beginning of the Gregorian year, so its production code should include the digits 19-118 – that is, the 118th day in 2019, and if the product is already manufactured on motzei Shabbos, immediately after the end of Yomtov, the number that will appear on the product is 19-117.
Sometimes the code includes only the last digit of the year, meaning “9118”, with the first 9 representing 2019.
It should be noted that the products of certain establishments sometimes show one or two other digits, such as 19-118-2, which symbolize the shift or plant and have no importance to the production date for the purpose of chametz.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
maybe this is important for frum machers, but for halacha what is important that if it was in the store of a Jew, did he have a heter mechira and if it was in the store of a goy, so it is not forbidden…..
In the USA, you could use the Chodesh / Yoshon list and figure it out if you are so inclined.