23-05-2025
Coles shoppers discover meaning behind little-known code on bakery items: 'We love a mystery'
Eagle-eyed Aussie shoppers have noticed an interesting detail printed on the barcode sticker of certain Coles baked goods - sparking speculation about the inclusion of the mysterious letters 'SC' on the label.
The letters are in fact a little-known internal code, which also provide insight into how the product is made.
One observant customer spotted the letters - printed in brackets - on a Custard Pull Apart loaf they recently purchased from the Coles Bakery section.
'What does SC on bakery items mean?' the shopper wrote in a Reddit thread.
The question prompted a discussion, which eventually uncovered the meaning behind the 'SC' on the package.
A person claiming to be a Coles employee shared their explanation that the letters 'SC' are in fact a shortening of the word 'scratch'.
'SC means scratch and indicates products made and baked from flour in store,' the worker suggested.
FEMAIL asked a Coles spokesperson to clarify whether anyone in the Reddit community had cracked the case of the baked goods mystery code.
'If there is one thing we all love, it's a reddit mystery. Those Reddit-sleuths in the comments had it half right - the 'SC' is simply an internal code for our team which means it's baked in store,' the Coles spokesperson told FEMAIL.
'But here's a fun twist: just because a product doesn't have a code, doesn't mean it's not baked in store.'
The Coles spokesperson further explained that while some in-store baked goods featured the 'SC' letters on the packaging, other items also made in-store did not necessarily feature the code.
'We have some bakery products that are only made from scratch in-store, so there is no need for the 'SC' code,' the spokesperson said.
'We only use the 'SC' code on those products which could be baked in store OR parbaked before being delivered to the store before its final bake.
'Regardless of whether it's baked from scratch in-store, or parbaked ahead of time, you can rest assured that our behind-the-scenes bakers have spent hours making sure to get the recipes just right.'
Before the mystery was solved, some suggested the code could be an acronym or abbreviation for 'store cooked', 'soooo custardy' and 'single coated'.
However, the real answer to the Reddit mystery delighted many regular Coles shoppers - some of whom had no idea there were hidden titbit of information on the barcode labels.
Meanwhile, one shopper revealed: 'I always look for the hot cross buns with the SC code at my store around Easter, they're so much better.'
Other observant shoppers asked the Coles employee responder on Reddit if they could also explain some other codes they'd seen printed on baked goods items, like 'PB' and 'FZ'.
'PB means par bake and is baked to 85 per cent cooked at a remote bakery, snap frozen and sent frozen to a store to be baked the last 15 per cent,' the employee said.
'This is all of the Laurent and Coles finest sourdough range, and some rolls in some stores (if they are facing baker shortages, or are just a PB bakery). Sometimes but not always labelled.'
The response continued by explaining that the codes FZ or FD usually refer to 'frozen dough that is shaped from a remote bakery and frozen raw to be fully cooked at your bakery.
The person claimed the code was sometimes seen on Danish and crown pastries.
It certainly seems that shoppers in the know are keeping an eye out for these secret codes while browsing the Coles Bakery section.
