Consumer Goods Council sets record straight on barcodes starting with ‘600’

The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa has set the record straight about barcodes after false information started circulating on social media claiming that any product without a barcode starting with “600” is fake or illegal.

This is completely false and can confuse shoppers, the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) says. “Products made or packaged in South Africa have barcodes starting with “600”, thanks to the CGCSA. However, products from other countries will have different barcode numbers but just because a barcode does not start with “600” does not mean the product is fake or illegal.”

GS1 South Africa, parent company of the CGCSA, is a member organisation of GS1 Global that has the responsibility is to issue a country code for barcodes. These prefixes start from 1 to 9. GS1 Global has 118 member organisations around the world with the responsibility to issue barcodes for their respective countries. South Africa has 600-601, the CGCSA says.

It explains that companies in South Africa using the GS1 barcodes issued by GS1 South Africa are assigned a prefix based on the country code. For example, South African member companies have prefixes of 600 while for example, companies in the UK have prefixes that start with 500 – 509. Country codes are listed here.

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Barcodes of goods sold in SA do not always start with 600

“While locally produced products are assigned the 600 prefix barcodes, there are nevertheless other imported products with different barcode prefixes. The fact that a product barcode prefix does not start with 600 does not make it counterfeit or illicit.

“It is important to note that GS1 is a neutral, global collaboration platform that brings industry leaders, government, regulators, academia and associations together to develop standards-based solutions to address the challenges of data exchange and consumer safety.

“Our scale and reach with local member organisations in 118 countries, over two million user companies and 10 billion transactions every day, helps to ensure that there is a common language of business across the globe.”

The CGCSA says it is deeply concerned about the issue of counterfeit and illicit products, especially in the food and beverage sector, but it is incorrect to assume that products without the 600 prefixes are not legitimate.

How do barcodes work? The CGCSA explains that each company gets a special number (called a GS1 Prefix) that appears in its barcodes. This number can show where the company is registered, but it does not tell you where the product was actually made. For example, a company could be based in China, but their products may be made in South Africa or another country.

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How to ensure you buy genuine products apart from using barcodes

Consumers can make sure they buy genuine products by keeping these tips in mind:

• Look for complete labels showing the product name, ingredients, manufacturer details, including physical address and expiration date.
• Buy from reliable shops, especially when you buy food.
• Make sure the product has proper trademarks and branding if it is claiming to be from a specific brand.

If you suspect a product might be fake, do not buy it and report it to the authorities.

The CGCSA is working on an app that will help you verify the products you buy from big stores, online, or informal markets. It will help you confirm if a product is genuine. Right now, you can ensure where the barcode was issued by looking here.

In addition, the CGCSA says, it is working with companies to make sure they use GS1-approved barcodes. “Through the Consumer Goods Crime Risk Initiative, CGCSA is also helping protect the food supply chain, so products get from the manufacturer to your local shops safely.”

You can report illicit or counterfeit products by calling 0800 014 856.