Beverages
Coca-Cola Batch Code Decoder
Coca-Cola cans and bottles carry a four-digit Julian production code plus a three-character plant identifier, stamped on the bottom of the can or the base of the PET bottle.
Decode your Coca-Cola code
Format: YJJJ + plant + line. Example:
Enter a code above to decode the production date.
Format
YJJJ + plant + line
Example
6099GTA
Year digit 6 + DOY 099 + plant GTA (Atlanta, Georgia).
Typical freshness
270 days
from production date
About Coca-Cola batch codes
Every Coca-Cola can, bottle, and fountain syrup container is stamped with a production code that begins with a four-digit Julian date — YJJJ — followed by a two- or three-letter plant identifier. A can with the code 6099GTA was filled on day 099 (April 9) of year 2026 at the Atlanta, Georgia bottling plant. The practical freshness window for carbonated soft drinks is approximately 39 weeks (about 273 days) from production: after that, the carbonation starts to drop below Coca-Cola's internal specification and the flavor begins to fade, though the product remains safe to consume for considerably longer. For Coca-Cola the Julian code is also used by route salesmen and vending-machine operators to practice strict first-in-first-out rotation — product with an older Julian is always sold first, and the internal recommendation is to pull anything whose Julian is more than nine months old from fountain and vending service even if it looks and tastes fine. The Coca-Cola Company operates hundreds of bottling plants worldwide and each has its own plant code, so reading the full stamp gives you both when and where your drink was made.
Need the general technique for any package? See how to read a Julian date code. For the regulatory background on lot traceability, read the manufacturing guide, or convert any date on the converter.
This decoder is based on Coca-Cola's publicly documented code format. Manufacturers can change codes without notice — treat the result as an estimate and check any printed best-by date.