To the Editor:
For those who are careful not to purchase chometz sold
during Pesach:
The code in Israel for food manufactured after Pesach 5765 is
5121. The first digit indicates the year (5 for 2005) and the
last three digits indicate the number of days since the first
day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar (in this
case, 121 days since the beginning of 2005).
(Part I of the recently-published expanded edition of
Bedikas Hamozone Kehalochoh contains a perpetual
calendar to facilitate calculating the manufacturing
code.)
Products made at certain factories sometimes show another
digit or two indicating the shift or the factory (e.g. 51212)
and are of no significance in the present matter.
Noodles imported from Italy (e.g. the majority of Osem
noodles) generally do not have a manufacturing code but
rather a date of last purchase, which is exactly two years
from the day of packaging.
Note: 1) Some products indicate only the date of packaging,
whereas the date of production may be earlier. 2) Even at the
end of the summer there can be products on the shelves
manufactured before Pesach.
Respectfully,
HaRav Moshe Vaye
Author of Bedikas Hamozone Kehalochoh
