Bar codes and expiry date
@Professor2010 (20162)
India
April 12, 2013 10:08am CST
Always check the expiry date on food items, edible oils, spices, medicines, ointments.
These days one can see ‘BAR CODES’ on each and every product; they carry very useful information.
Many products no longer show where they were made, only give where the distributor is located.
Now the whole world is concerned about China-made cheap goods; steroid fed animals; for example the 45 days old broiler chicken and Genetically Modified Organism foods.
[b]Businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products "MADE IN CHINA", so they don't show from which country it is made.
This you can know from bar codes. [/b]
If the first 3 digits of the bar code are 690, 691 or 692, the product is China made, if 471 it is Taiwan made and if 890 India made.
If the first 3 digits of the bar code are 00-09 then it's made or sourced in USA and CANADA.
30 - 37 ... FRANCE
40 - 44 ... GERMANY
45 or 49...JAPAN
50.......... UK
57 .........DENMARK
64..........FINLAND
76.........SWITZERLAND and LIENCHTENSTIEN
628.........SAUDI ARABIA
629.........UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
740..........745 - CENTRAL AMERICA
480 ……..PHILIPPINES
489...........HONG KONG
[b]I hope you find this information useful.
Do you check the expiry dates, country of origin etc?
Please respond comment and share your tips if any.[/b]
Thanks in advance. Professor Dr. Bhuwan Saraf. PhD. April 12 , 2013.
Cheers have a lucky day ahead.
[i][/i][u][/u]
4 people like this
16 responses
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
15 Apr 13
Ruby madam you are right in saying this, we grow our food, but is that possible always?
@Archie0 (5652)
•
13 Apr 13
This has been a habit for me since my childhood. Whatever I buy even if it is going to be a new chocolate I read the back cover of it. I make sure read the expiry date or Manufacturing date along with the best before, Country in which it is made and sometimes if it is some edible things that i buy like some chips or frozen food i do check its nutrition value as well. I really don't understand bar code system, but thanks a lot to you. This really will help me in future.
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
15 Apr 13
Good habit, yes food products have nutrition value printed.
@irene66 (1669)
• Philippines
13 Apr 13
I always check the expiration date of the products I buy.
However,not all the time especially when I am in a hurry.
But of course it is always safe to check it all the time.
Good to see there is a code for us to see where the products are made.
This is difficult however because I cannot memorize all those codes
at once.
where is the code of China anyway.
Maybe that's the first code I can get into my mind
at once.
where is the code of China anyway.
Maybe that's the first code I can get into my mind@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
15 Apr 13
Hey it is there-- If the first 3 digits of the bar code are 690, 691 or 692, the product is China made, i think this is correct.
@jaiho2009 (39141)
• Philippines
12 Apr 13
hello dada,
I always check expiry date and manufactured date.
It is very important and we should take it as a habit to avoid health issues.
Besides,big malls and supermarket here in our place always keep their product safe or else- they will lose lot of customers.
Take care of your health :)
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
15 Apr 13
Jane beti
Glad to know you check the date of manufacture and expiry.
Here owner of a big mall was arrested recently because on 'sunday' sells they were selling expiry date over stuff, under buy one get one free.
Blessings from Papa
Glad to know you check the date of manufacture and expiry.
Here owner of a big mall was arrested recently because on 'sunday' sells they were selling expiry date over stuff, under buy one get one free.
Blessings from Papa
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
13 Apr 13
Very useful information, Professor! thanks!
I mostly look at the expiration dates of the products that I buy. With the country of origin, I am really not very particular although I sometimes do check on that one in a while.
3 people like this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
13 Apr 13
Thank you, Professor2010, for sharing..and the heads up! Your research is valuable. I am hoping in days to come, there will be more compliance, and we really can tell the source of our "consumptives" and "appliable" products more than we can today!
The code on my "Organic Chicken Broth" which I am consuming, right now, due to a BAD flu, does not align with any of your codes. Sorry, not you codes, what you have printed....But once again, thank you!
1 person likes this
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
15 Apr 13
Yes not my codes, i got them in FB page of a friend shared here, might be wrong there.
Most packages give information as 'Made in xxx'
Some I saw say 'Made as xxx'
And once on a nail cutter i saw ; 'Made in USA'
This USA stood for Ullasnagar Sindhi Association.
Ullasnagar is a place in India.[i][/i]
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
13 Apr 13
As usual sid556...you bring sanity to my panic...I just have been unusually ill from "norwalk virus" which I picked up in a hospital (whilst having tests) and have been trying to recover with "Organic Chicken Broth" and I CANNOT find a corresponding code!
It would be great if this were the case, but I also have bar code 725 on a consumptive.
What a great standard this would set for the world.....Thanx
@rog0322 (2829)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
12 Apr 13
Hi,
The bar codes can tell the country of origin so I rummaged among my official receipts for a while to settle this great controversy on my other watch enthusiasts forum as to where our Seiko watches were made, some say the parts were made in Japan and assembled elsewhere, like Singapore, Malaysia or China. On one of the stickers I have kept is a bar code for my Seiko 5, product code SNK607K1, and the series of numbers on the bottom of the bars started with 45, therefore it was made in Japan or it came from Japan. My Seiko Diver, product code SKX007, has no bar code with it, however the certificate of warranty, a little booklet which contained the manual has a code number printed on the last page starting with 25 which left me stumped again. Anyway, thanks for the information, we shall settle this great controversy on the country of origin of our watches in one way or another.
2 people like this
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
15 Apr 13
Thanks for the details, what i have heard is many reputed brands are reassembled in China because of cheap labor.
@AstralTango (62)
• Indonesia
13 Apr 13
Hi, it's a good information prof. I never know there are country codes on the barcodes. I always check the expiry date when I buy some foods. It is a thing that every one should concern about because it's related to our health condition.
1 person likes this
@kareemadivina (1230)
• Philippines
15 Apr 13
Thanks for the information professor.I think it's really helpful for us to know the country bar codes.I usually check the expiration date and the country of origin of the products I buy but I don't mind bar codes because I simply don't know it's use.I just recently buy a Sony smartphone because I prefer Japan made items for electronics and gadgets but I'm disappointed that the one I purchased is actually made in China.It seems, that everything is now manufactured in China even popular U.S. brands.
1 person likes this
@roshigo58 (4859)
• Pune, India
12 Apr 13
Hi,
It is very useful information about bar code. I never check bar code. I only check expiry date of products. Thank you for sharing such important information.
3 people like this
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
15 Apr 13
I too check only expiry date, i will try to check bar code too hence fort, i am told one can buy a bar code reader like we see in bigbazzar etc.
@MarkAnthony20 (73)
• Philippines
13 Apr 13
This is very helpful, I was thinking about bar codes is to make a unique numbering of a product. From your discussion, I am aware about the products made from different country.
2 people like this
@beautax11 (33)
• Philippines
17 Dec 13
oh! im used to check on the expiry date but not knowing nor checking the country code thing...thanks for the info prof.had learned.it would helps .
@ARIES1973 (11426)
• Legaspi, Philippines
15 Apr 13
Hi professor!
One of the most informative posts I've ever read in mylot. I opened it because I think I forget to look t the expiry date of the bread I bought the other to one of the stores in our place. I trusted them because I have been buying bread from them ever since.
I found out that the bread I bought was already expired when I got home.
I will not return to that store again.
About the barcode. Yeah, very helpful. I at the moment holding a notebook made form our place. Yes it is 480.
Have a great day!
