The carton is not just disposable wrapping. It can be the clearest record of what was printed with the product when you bought it.
Keep a photo of the carton or retain it until you have recorded the brand, batch-code candidate, printed dates, and product name. This gives you a second place to verify an unclear character without relying on memory.
EU labelling rules allow an identifying reference to appear on packaging rather than the container where the product is too small in practice. That is one reason a carton can contain the better clue. Read the rule →
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