Identifying China Products Using Barcode
Posted on 10. Oct, 2008 by dimaks in Life, News
On China products bar code — I got a forwarded email today tipping that since the advent of Melamine chemical that is seemingly plaguing China products especially dairy/milk, some China companies opted not to write on where their products came from or where they were produced. In the email, it is said that you can identify if a product came from China or not by referring to barcode number 690-692. This number is actually taken from the 13-digit European Article Number (EAN) found on packaging.
The EAN 13-digits bar code is defined by the Global Standards Organization also known as GS1. Established in 1973, the organization is administering barcodes for retail products in about 140 member countries. Whereby, China got its assigned GS1 prefixes as 690, 691 and 692.
(image: www.topnews.in)
While too good to be a complete relief, there is a case brought by a 54 year old senior technician Chan Chee Kong, finding his Chinese cooking wines, labelled as a product of China with the Singapore code prefix 888.
In other words, products may bear a country’s unique product code where it may have been repacked and not where it was actually manufactured. Simply put that in the absence of the written declaration where the product came from, you can’t just rely on the barcode option.
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Part-time blogger dimaks is involved in transport planning and research and is into Internet technology, PC games, digital photography, motorcycling and martial arts.. 
Blogsvine
Oct 10th, 2008
China Products Barcode – European Article Number (EAN)…
China Products Barcode — barcode may not reveal a product’s country of origin….
Webkinz
Oct 12th, 2008
Are they really put that numbers on all their products?
verns
Oct 12th, 2008
but I believe that one of the requirements of all packaging labels is to put the country of origin…but then again we are talking about China here hehe
Almost all products here in Maldives are imported. Most chocolates are from China. A day before we were advised about this case, I think I ate 2 bars of Cadburry chocolate from China. Apparently it’s Melamine free or maybe it’s just taking its time hehe ^-^
Drink
Oct 13th, 2008
Are they really always put their bar codes on their products?
dimaks
Oct 13th, 2008
verns,
good for you the chocolates that you ate were not tainted. this thing getting so global really.
Daily
i suppose they do because it is an international standard.. but who knows, piracy and deception is found in anything.
Ben Pei
Oct 13th, 2008
While many companies have stop importing those products, I am pretty sure there are still cheapo companies who do not care.. So thanks for the tips!
monaco
Oct 14th, 2008
I don’t trust China-made food products anymore, and I’m sure there are millions who feel the same as I do. Thanks for this tip.
dimaks
Oct 14th, 2008
Ben Pei
you are welcome Ben and thanks for dropping by! some people/companies just don’t care as long as they gain profits.
monaco
right, this is everywhere you lay your eyes on.. you’re welcome.
Ambo
Oct 15th, 2008
Don’t know about the barcodes but thanks for the info!
dimaks
Oct 17th, 2008
Ambo
you are welcome. thanks for coming by.
List of 150 Social Bookmarking Sites
Oct 18th, 2008
thanks for the information
Virtual offices
Oct 24th, 2008
I have never come across any special bar codes on products from CN, how do you prove it wasn’t manufactured somewhere else. with they made in china in it?
dimaks
Oct 26th, 2008
Virtual offices
that is another issue.. i think anybody nowadays can just put anything on, given the piracy issues we face.
John
Oct 26th, 2008
This page has more than 3 Google ad units on
Never realised you could identify where a product came from simply by reading the barcode
dimaks
Oct 27th, 2008
John,
Hi.. from what i understand, you can have a maximum of 3 link units and 3 ad units. if you could point to me somewhere in the Google ToS, i will be more than willing to take those ads down.
anyway, yes, i found that out too and never knew it before that those bar codes got so many things to say