My first job out of college was printing FDA labels for dialysis chemicals. This is not an expiration date - it’s lot info for traceability.

It’s required in case there is a problem with the batch, they can trace the ingredients all the way back to the vendor for each batch. Then, if a recall is necessary, the store will know which lots to pull from the shelf.

This is shelf stable food. It’s not going to go bad in 3 months. Hell, eggs last longer than that.