Enriched barcodes

Transforming product coding to improve traceability

Our Retail and Data experts work with retailers to enrich food product barcodes by adding, in particular, the best-before date/ sell-by date or batch number.

Why enrich barcodes?

Improve product traceability throughout the chain

Products tracked according to their expiry date and to their batch for greater safety

Engage in a pioneer digital transformation

Digitized data for reliable and sustainable consumption

Bar codes, a technology to be modernised

1974

The first product with a barcode is scanned at the checkout in Ohio

In the 1970s and 80s, barcodes become a standard in European stores to identify the product, but not its expiry date or batch number.

1980

Enriched barcodes used on medicine boxes

A European directive requires the serialisation of medicine boxes to combat the falsification of medicine for human use. A unique code authenticates and traces each medicine box. In particular, the expiry date is encoded.

2015

To help galvanize the United States’ efforts to reduce food loss and waste, USDA and EPA announced first-ever food loss and waste reduction goal in September 2015

The U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions are businesses and organizations that have made a public commitment to reduce food loss and waste in their own operations in the United States by 50 percent by the year 2030. Champions include leaders from across the food chain.

2018

Ben Elliot appointed as UK first Food Surplus and Waste Champion to help promote awareness of the issue of food waste

The appointment is a key commitment of UK Resources and Waste Strategy launched in December 2018, and will support the commitment set out in the Strategy and 25 Year Environment Plan to work towards eliminating food waste to landfill by 2030.

2019

French MP Guillaume Garot, suggest adding best-before dates to barcodes to reduce waste

In the evaluation of the anti-waste law n°2016-138, the MP taskforce recommends the integration of “consumption dates in barcodes”, to effectively fight against food waste in stores and at home.