To select a product in the store, it is not enough to consider, touch or try on it; useful information may also be on the label. Or rather on the barcode. A barcode is vertical lines located according to a specific standard, and a sequence of numbers below them. A set of these lines and numbers can be seen on almost any product, whether it is products, clothing, household items or household appliances. For the first time, consumers found a barcode on product packaging in 1975. Today, these signs are used by 800 thousand manufacturers in 94 countries.
Instruction manual
1
The appearance of the barcode to an uninformed person will not say anything. In addition to the usual lined rectangle, the barcode can be either narrow or short. Some codes are printed without numbers at all. Such abbreviated encodings are allowed, but rather, as an exception. Nevertheless, most manufacturers strictly adhere to the standard coding system, where each figure implies specific data.
2
The barcode of the European standard consists of 13 digits, the first two of which indicate the country. The next five are the code of the manufacturer. The remaining numbers will tell about the consumer properties of the product:
1 - product name, 2 - consumer features, 3 - mass
4 - composition, 5 - color of the goods.
The last digit of the barcode is a control and serves to confirm the authenticity of the code.
3
To calculate - a fake or a genuine product in front of you, it is enough to conduct ordinary arithmetic calculations using the numbers of the barcode. Add the numbers in even places. Multiply their sum by three. Then add the numbers from odd places except the last. Now summarize the two previous results. Cut the first digit from this amount. Subtract the result from 10. You should get a figure equal to the control (the last in a row). If they match, you have the original. If not, fake.
4
Unfortunately, the presence of a barcode does not affect the quality of the goods. This marking was created exclusively for the manufacturers themselves, not for the consumer. However, an inquisitive and attentive consumer can still calculate the manufacturer's encoding, or rather his country. But here some difficulties may arise. The country of manufacture indicated on the label may not coincide with the barcode country, and this does not mean that you bought a fake. Many companies produce goods in one country, and register in another or open branches in third countries.
5
So, look at the first two digits of the barcode. Values of producing countries:
- 00, 01, 03, 04, 06 - USA, Canada;
- 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - France;
- 40, 41, 42, 43 - Germany;
- 49 - Japan;
- 50 - Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
- 54 - Belgium and Luxembourg;
- 56 - Portugal;
- 60, 61 - South Africa;
- 64 - Finland;
- 70 - Norway;
- 72 - Israel;
- 73 - Sweden;
- 76 - Switzerland;
- 80, 81, 82, 83 - Italy;
- 86 - Turkey;
- 87 - Holland;
- 90, 91- Austria;
- 93 - Australia;
- 460 - Russia.
6
In order to find out directly the manufacturer of a product by a barcode, an Internet connection is required. Since 1999, GEPIR has existed - a single global registry information system. Each consumer on the official website can request information on decoding a bar code. Go to the Russian or GEPIR main page http://gs46.gs1ru.org/GEPIR31/ ) and enter the code of the product you are interested in.
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