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

This is completely false and may confuse buyers, says the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA). “Products manufactured 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 counterfeit or illegal.”

GS1 South Africa, parent company of CGCSA, is a member organization of GS1 Global that has responsibility for issuing a country code for barcodes. These prefixes start from 1 to 9. GS1 Global has 118 member organizations around the world with the responsibility of issuing barcodes for their respective countries. South Africa has between 600 and 601, according to the CGCSA.

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

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Barcodes on products sold in SA do not always start with 600

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

“Importantly, GS1 is a neutral global collaboration platform that brings together industry leaders, governments, regulators, academia and associations to develop standards-based solutions to address data sharing and consumer security challenges.

“Our scale and reach with local member organizations in 118 countries, more than two million business users and 10 billion transactions every day, help ensure there is a common business language around the world.”

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 600 prefixes are not legitimate.

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

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How to make sure you buy original products in addition to using barcodes

Consumers can ensure 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 trusted stores, especially when buying groceries.
• Make sure the product has the proper trademarks and branding if it claims to be a specific brand.

If you suspect that a product may be counterfeit, do not purchase it and report it to the authorities.

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

Additionally, the CGCSA says, it is working with companies to ensure they use GS1-approved barcodes. “Through the Consumer Goods Crime Risk Initiative, CGCSA is also helping to protect the food supply chain, so products arrive safely from the manufacturer to local stores.”

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