ON THE PACKAGE

How to read the expiration date

VTO is not the same as ELAB, and a month and year run through the last day.

November 13, 2026

Using what you already bought starts with reading the date the package already prints. Yogurt, jam, dish soap, or the jar in the medicine cabinet: the date that counts is the one on the package.

This note is a guide to reading that print. It is not medical or legal advice, or a food-safety rule, and it does not replace what the maker prints or the rules where you live. If the product looks wrong, smells off, or the package is damaged, do not use it even if the date looks fine. If you are unsure about your health, ask someone qualified.

VTO is not ELAB

Many packages print two dates, side by side. They do not mean the same thing.

VTO is the expiration date: how long you can use it. It also shows up as VENC, VENCE, CAD, EXP, or “Consumir antes del” (use before).

ELAB is when it was made or packed. You will also see FAB, ENV, or “Elaborado el” (made on). That date does not tell you how long it lasts.

If the package says ELAB 03/01/26 and VTO 14/02/27, follow 14 February 2027. The manufacturing date is the other one.

How the dates are written

On packages that use these Spanish marks, the numbers run day, month, year. These are the formats you see most often on the shelf:

25 AGO 202625 August 2026. The month may be three letters —AGO, ENE, SEP— or written out. AGO is August.
VTO 14/02/2714 February 2027. Three numbers: day, month, and year. 27 means 2027.
08/2027August 2027. With a four-digit year, two numbers are the month and the year, not a day.
VTO 04/27April 2027. Next to a word that means expiration, the first number is the month and the second is the year. It is not the 4th.

When the month is in letters, there is nothing to mix up. If the package is imported and shows three numbers, the order can change: 06/12/2027 might be 6 December or 12 June, depending on the country. Check the language on the package. A date like 2027-06-12 reads year, month, day.

If it only gives the month

With no day, the product is meant for that whole month. On a package, a month and a year run through the last day. Vencito does the same: 08/2027 lasts through 31 August 2027, and VTO 04/27 through 30 April 2027. If the package prints a day, that day is the one that counts.

Some packages add another count: “once opened, use within X days.” It starts the day you open it and can come before the VTO. If it is printed, it counts too.

What not to guess

Smeared ink is not something you complete from memory. Step closer, find the word (VTO, ELAB, use before), and read what follows. A lot number, a time, or a factory code beside it is not the date. The lot identifies the batch.

In another language the idea is the same. “Best before,” “Use by,” VAL, DLC, or MHD mark expiration. MFG or “Hergestellt” mark manufacturing. The date you follow is the expiration date.

If the photo is blurry, fix the date before you save. The app suggests; the package decides. On the home page you can paste text from a package and see which date the reader picks.

Use what you have.

Take a photo of the package. Vencito reads the date, separates expiration from manufacturing, and reminds you ahead of time. The app is on the App Store and on Google Play.

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