NOW

Look closely at an egg sold in Korea and you may find a 10-character code stamped on the shell. It is not a random factory number: it combines the laying date, producer ID and the hen’s rearing environment.

4 + 5 + 1

The first four digits are the laying date in MMDD format, the next five characters identify the producer, and the final digit is the rearing-environment code. “0823 M3FDS 2,” for example, starts with August 23.

THE LAST DIGIT IS NOT A QUALITY RANKING

Codes 1–4 describe how the hens were housed: 1 free-range, 2 barn floor, 3 improved cage and 4 conventional cage. They do not rank taste or nutrition.

Sources & context

2026-09-18

impfood.mfds.go.kr ↗www.mfds.go.kr ↗