Friday 4 October 2013

Bar Codes And More

By Keren Kipfer


You can find bar codes printed in our food products when you look for them on the side of the packaging especially the ones made in the United States. You can find them at the back side of a product. One of its functions is to make it easier for store checkers to easily add up the cost of your total grocery bill but they are not only placed there for that purpose. Let us discuss their several important functions aside from the one mentioned before.

Another common name for a bar code is UPC code, which stand for Universal Product Code. The UCC or the Uniform Code Council is the organization that originated it. At the bottom of these codes you can find several numbers while the bar is labeled in a normal black bar on a white background print. The number portion provides helpful information for vendors and customers but some parts of the code can only be read with a specific machine or scanner.

A manufacturer's identification number is found at a 12-digit code which is composed in a standard UPC code. The one who manufactured the product can be found at the first six digits of the code while the remaining next five digits of the code indicate the actual product. The check digit is the final number entered to all the previous numbers calculated together in a special mathematical formula. To avoid using the same code on more than one product and retire these codes as these products are removed from shelves, a UPC coordinator is required.

Basically, the numbers codes 0,1,6,7 and 8 represent most of the products in a grocery store that are manufactured elsewhere, such as soda, pasta, tomato sauce and the millions of other products we buy. A number 2 indicates items sold by weight, such as deli meat, cheese or produce. A 3 is for pharmaceutical items and the numbers 4, 5 and 9 are placed on different types of coupons.

Bar codes are not the only ones that are printed on the packaging of different food products. Manufacturers include printing the batch number and expiration date on these products also. To do this, they use a special kind of printer, known as an ID coder or ID printer. There are many brands of coders that are available in the market, including Domino coders, VideoJet coders, Imaje coders and many more. This is very important especially the expiration dates since they help one determine if these products are safe for consumption or use. Food is vital for our daily lives and we need to be absolutely sure about their quality and freshness.

ID coders or printers will require special inks and make-up fluids in order for them to function. It is advised to use high quality inks to avoid damage to your machines. You can buy several inks and fluids directly from manufacturers. However, doing so may cost you a lot of money. You can buy the same type of product at a more affordable price when you look for a product ID company that specializes in creating high quality generic versions of VideoJet ink, Domino ink, Maxima ink and all the other major brands. It is much cheaper to purchase and they are as effective as the ones sold directly from manufacturers.




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