How to Read Wilton Manufacturing Dates | Wilton (2024)

Posted by Wilton | Oct 8, 2021

Like most food products, Wilton Candy Melts candy, icing, fondant, and sprinkles all have a best-buy or manufacturing dates; however, it takes a little code-breaking to decipher it! Here’s our helpful guide on how to read Wilton manufacuring dates.

Though Wilton Candy Melts candy, fondant, sprinkles, and meringue powder all have a long shelf life, they don’t last forever. Like most food products, our candies and edible decorations are stamped with a best-buy or manufacturing date so you can use them at their freshest. However, this date uses the Julian date code rather than traditional calendar dates.

What is the Julian Date Code?

The Julian date code is a 5-digit number stamped onto the packaging of your food. The first two numbers represent the year of manufacture. Download the Julian Date Calendar for reference. For example:

  • 21114 is 2021
  • 20294 is 2020
  • 19221 is 2019

The last three numbers represent the day (out of 365) that the food was manufactured. Remember, day #1 is January 1; day #365 is December 31st. So, for the examples above, the 114th day of 2021 was April 24th, meaning April 24, 2021 is the manufactured date for the food item. Here are the dates for the other examples:

  • 21114 is April 24th
  • 20294 is October 20th
  • 19221 is August 9th

Here are some benchmark numbers for better deciphering the Julian date on your package:

  • 001 (1st day of the year) – January 1st
  • 050 (50th day of the year) – February 19th
  • 100 (100th day of the year) – April 10th
  • 150 (150th day of the year) – May 30th
  • 200 (200th day of the year) – July 19th
  • 250 (250th day of the year) – September 7th
  • 300 (300th day of the year) – October 27th
  • 350 (350th day of the year) – December 16th
  • 365 (365th day of the year) – December 31st

No matter what day of the week the new year starts on, January 1st will always be the first day of the year, so these benchmark numbers apply to all calendar years.

Can I Still Eat Items that Have Past Their Freshness Date?

If the food items you have are past their best-buy date, they are not harmful if consumed. However, they may not perform or taste as a fresh batch would.

Here are some common freshness dates for popular Wilton products:

Food ProductFreshness Range
Candy Melts candyWithin 18 months of coded date
Icing colorsWithin 36 months of coded date
FondantWithin 18 months of coded date
Color Right food coloringWithin 48 months of coded date
SprinklesWithin 36 months of coded date
Decorator Icing/FrostingWithin 12 months of coded date
Meringue PowderWithin 24 months of coded date
Gingerbread and Cookie KitsWithin 12 months of coded date

And that’s all there is to it! Now you can enjoy Wilton Candy Melts, icing colors, fondant, sprinkles and more at their freshest!

How to Read Wilton Manufacturing Dates | Wilton (2024)

FAQs

How to Read Wilton Manufacturing Dates | Wilton? ›

There is a stamped-on manufacturer date code on the product; we use a Julian Date calendar and go off the first five digits of this code. For example: 19114, the first two numbers are the year (2019), and the last three numbers (114) are the day of the year out of 365, which is April 24.

Does Wilton food coloring expire? ›

As many of these ingredients never expire, food coloring has a long shelf life, and can be used several years beyond expiration when tightly sealed and stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. If not stored properly, liquid and gel food coloring may harden or dry out over time.

Does Wilton cake release expire? ›

Wilton Cake Release Pan Non-Stick Coating, 8 fl. oz

I have read on the internet that it has a long shelf life. From my own experience, it lasts a very long time, but you will be able to tell when it is no longer good to use, as it will get a mild rancid odor.

Does Wilton meringue powder have an expiration date? ›

How Long Does Meringue Powder Last? Meringue powder has a shelf life of about 2 years, if stored correctly. Keep it away from moisture in a cool, dry environment, like the back of your cabinet.

What happened to the Wilton company? ›

Quality and innovation continue to be the driving force behind Wilton's desire to bring the best possible product to the consumer. Wilton is acquired by Dr. Oetker, a German family-run food business specializing in baking products, mixes, decorations and more.

How to read Wilton expiration date? ›

A: From Wilton site: The icing has a suggested freshness range of 24 months from the Julian Date Code stamped on the bottom. For example: 19114, the first two numbers are the year (2019), and the last three numbers (114) are the day of the year out of 365, which is April 24.

How do you know if food coloring is expired? ›

If all seems normal, then check for indicators of the coloring's quality. The most common issue with older food coloring is that the liquid will dry out, causing it to thicken or harden and rendering it difficult to use. If you find that your food coloring has dried out, you don't need to toss it just yet.

How do you read cake mate expiration date? ›

What is the shelf life of your products and when do they expire? Locate the code date on the container of your item which includes a letter and a couple of numbers (example D6038). The first letter of the code is the month (A=January, B=February, etc.) and the following digit is the year.

Does cake release expire? ›

How Long Does This Pan Release Stay Good? This pan release can be stored at room temperature for 3 months, or in the fridge for 6 months. I go through mine relatively quickly so I like to leave it out at room temperature.

How long is unopened icing good for? ›

Frosting Expiration Date
(Unopened)Pantry
Canned Frosting/Icing lasts for3-4 Months
Dry Frosting Mix lasts for5-6 Months
(Opened)Pantry
Canned Frosting/Icing lasts for2-3 Weeks
4 more rows
Apr 21, 2015

How do you tell if Wilton Candy Melts are expired? ›

Do Candy Melts Expire? Though they will last a while if stored properly, Candy Melts are best used within 18 months of the date they were made. Each package contains a stamped series of numbers and letters to help mark the date they were packaged.

Does powdered egg white go bad? ›

When it comes to storing, egg powder lasts very long. The egg powder has a shelf life of up to 25 years.

Who is the parent company of Wilton? ›

Wilton's parent company, Dr. August Oetker KG, is a family-owned, multi-national, multi-billion-dollar leader in our industry with over 125 years of history.

Who owns Wilton cake? ›

Is Wilton a US company? ›

Wilton Enterprises, based in Woodridge, Illinois, and founded in 1929, is the leading food crafting company in the industry, with the number one position in cake decorating, bakeware and tea kettles.

Is it okay to use expired food coloring? ›

Due to this mix of ingredients, it is very uncommon for food coloring to spoil in the way most foods do. Odds are, if you find an expired bottle of food coloring in your cabinet, it is still safe to use. That being said, the contents can still degrade in quality, making it unappealing.

Is it OK to use expired gel food coloring? ›

However, it is such a waste to throw out a barely used food color because it's past the expiration date. The only time I would stop using a food color past the expiration date is if the color begins to change or the consistency changes. If my gel is starting to harden and dry up then I would totally throw it away.

Can food Colouring be used after expiry date? ›

Store-bought food colouring has no raw ingredients, so they are generally safe to use for years, even past their expiry dates, This works out well for home bakers, who use only a few drops of colouring at a time.

How long does gel food coloring expire? ›

No, AmeriColor® Soft Gel Paste™ does not expire. We put a "best by" date on it because consumer trend demands it. But it is never unsafe for human consumption.

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