Friday, February 11, 2011

Re: [www.keralites.net] <<< ~ Know the Bar-Code ~ >>>



Hello Mr Raja Rajeshwaran,

First of all I like to say this hoax email is partly true & is also misleading, but that doesn't mean it is not a hoax. To be more specific, I did a lot of searching & at-last I found my proof from very trusted sources that you can't deny. If you still opt not to accept, I'm sorry to say, you are a fool. I'll explain in what ways I searched. First I searched in WikiPedia with the query BAR CODE & from there I reached a page of GS1- a global non profit organization which regulates & controls barcoding system globally. The extract from Wikipedia about GS1 as follows.

GS1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gs1 logo text.png
Founded in 1977, GS1 is an international not-for-profit association dedicated to the development and implementation of global standards and solutions to improve the efficiency and visibility of supply and demand chains globally and across multiple sectors. The GS1 System of standards is the most widely-used supply-chain standards system in the world.
GS1's main activity is the development of the GS1 System, a series of standards designed to improve supply-chain management. The GS1 System is composed of four key standards: Barcodes (used to automatically identify things), eCom (electronic business messaging standards allowing automatic electronic transmission of data), GDSN (Global Data Synchronisation standards which allow business partners to have consistent item data in their systems at the same time) and EPCglobal (which uses RFID technology to immediately track an item).
GS1, formerly called 'EAN International', adopted the name 'GS1' in 2005. GS1 has its head office in Brussels. There are GS1 member organisations in 108 countries.
GS1 maintains a list of data identifiers (code prefixes) used by GS1 member organisations to assign company identifiers to their member companies enabling them to create GS1 compliant identification keys. Globally, GS1-standards are dependent of international standardisation bodies as with joint standards of ISO and IEC, as e.g. with ISO/IEC 11179 (metadata registries), ISO/IEC 15418 (data identifiers) and ISO/IEC 18000-6C (RFID air interfaces).
GS1 codes do not provide identification of country of origin for a given product. Member companies may manufacture products anywhere in the world.[1]
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GS1

Next is the list of country codes used by GS1

List of GS1 country codes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prefix 950 (GS1 Global Office) is used for special applications and bi-lateral agreements. Prefix 951 is used by EPCglobal. From the 960 range, prefixes 9600 to 9604 have been assigned to GS1 UK for GTIN-8 number allocations. Prefixes not listed above are used by GS1 Global Office for number allocations in countries where there is not yet a GS1 organisation and are reserved for future use. Prefixes used in non-GS1 member countries and reserved by GS1 for future use are:
  • 140 – 199
  • 381, 382, 384, 386 & 388
  • 390 – 399
  • 441 – 449
  • 472, 473 & 483
  • 510 – 519
  • 521 – 527
  • 532 – 534 & 536 – 538
  • 550 – 559
  • 561 – 568
  • 580 – 589
  • 591 – 593 & 595 – 598
  • 602 & 605 – 607
  • 610, 612, 614, 617, 620 & 623
  • 630 – 639
  • 650 – 689
  • 696 – 699
  • 710 – 728
  • 747 – 749
  • 751 – 753 & 756 – 758
  • 772, 774, 776 & 778
  • 781 – 783, 785, 787 & 788
  • 791 – 799
  • 851 – 857
  • 861 – 864 & 866
  • 881 – 883, 886, 887 & 889
  • 891, 892, 894, 895, 897 & 898
  • 920 – 929
  • 952 – 954, 956 & 957
  • 959, 961 – 976
  • 984 – 989
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GS1_country_codes

From Wikipedia I got the official website address of GS1. I got there & checked in the FAQ section from where I got this info.

Does the EAN-13 bar code show the country of origin
KBA-01240
Answer
No, the GTIN (the bar code number) does not imply any significance.
A GTIN starts with the GS1 Prefix of the GS1 Member Organisation that allocated a GS1 Company Prefix to a company to allow them to generate GTINs and bar code their products. This does not mean that the product was manufactured in a specific country or by a specific manufacturer, it may have been produced anywhere in the world.
You can type the full number into the GEPIR system and find out the company information. For more information please try http://www.gepir.org
Source: http://helpdesk.gs1.org/ArticleDetails.aspx?Bar%20Codes&id=b39c6591-4c6c-4441-b83e-ed69a939da85
Home Page: http://www.gs1.org/

Did you read it carefully Mr. Raja Rajeshwaran? So what would you say now? Do you again say that official website is not genuine???!!! Oh come on.

I was quite sure that you'll ask about the importance of country code specified above, if that codes does not signify a country? To be clear, I searched other sites like hoax-slayer.com for more detailed synopsis. Here is my search results.

From About.com Urban legends

Do Bar Codes Reveal Where a Product Is Made?

Netlore Archive

By David Emery, About.com Guide

Does bar code say made in China?
Bar Code: Made in China?
(Image source: unknown, circulating via email)

Forwarded email claims potentially hazardous products made in China can be identified by examining the first three digits of the bar code on the packaging, which supposedly indicate the country of origin.
Description: Email flier
Circulating since: Oct. 2008
Status: Partly true / Misleading
Example #1:
Email contributed by Paula G., Nov. 8, 2008:
Made in China barcodes
THIS IS GOOD TO KNOW!!!
The whole world is scared of China made 'black hearted goods'. Can you differentiate which one is made in the USA , Philippines , Taiwan or China ? Let me tell you how... the first 3 digits of the barcode is the country code wherein the product was made.
Sample all barcodes that start with 690.691.692 until 695 are all MADE IN CHINA.
This is our human right to know, but the government and related department never educate the public, therefore we have to RESCUE ourselves.
Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products 'made in china', so they don't show from which country it is made.
However, you may now refer to the barcode, remember if the first 3 digits is 690-695 then it is Made in China .
00 ~ 13 USA & CANADA
30 ~ 37 FRANCE
40 ~ 44 GERMANY
49 ~ JAPAN
50 ~ UK
57 ~ Denmark
64 ~ Finland
76 ~ Switzerland and Lienchtenstein
471 is Made in Taiwan (see sample below)
628 ~ Saudi-Arabien
629 ~ United Arab Emirates
740 ~ 745 - Central America
All 480 Codes are Made in the Philippines.
Please inform your family and friends for them to be aware.
Example #2:
Email contributed by Joanne F., Oct. 2, 2008:
Fw: China and Taiwan bar codes
FYI - Originated in Taiwan because of the milk scare. However, some items may be deceiving because they are packaged in the U.S. but made in China (or raw materials come from there). They will have a US UPC code. If you can read Chinese, the chart below lists the countries associated with the UPC codes. The U.S. UPC code starts with 0.
Dear Friends,
If you want to avoid buying China imported food... you will need to know how to read the bar code on the products to see where they are actually coming from...
If the bar code starts from : 690 or 691 or 692 they are from China
If the bar code starts from : 471 they are from Taiwan
If the bar code starts from : 45 or 49 they are from Japan
If the bar code starts from : 489 they are from Hong Kong
Please be aware that the Melamine case is expanding, not only some of the mike contains Melamine, even some candy and chocolate are no good to eat now... even melamine is use in ham and hamburgers or some vegetarian food. Please do beware at this moment for your own health.
Analysis: The information above is misleading and unreliable, on two counts:
  1. There's more than one kind of bar code in use around the world. UPC bar codes, the type most commonly used in the United States, do not typically contain a country identifier. A different type of bar code known as EAN-13 does contain a country identifier, but it's more commonly used in Europe and other countries outside the U.S.
  2. Even in the case of EAN-13 bar codes, the digits associated with country of origin don't necessarily specify where the product was manufactured, but rather where the bar code itself was registered. So, for example, a product manufactured in China and sold in France could have an EAN-13 bar code identifying it as a French product.
Looking for a "Made in XYZ" label is generally more helpful, but, particularly with regard to foods and beverages, there's no sure-fire way to determine in every case where a product or its components originated. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration mandates country-of-origin labeling on many food products, but there are exceptions, most notably the entire category of "processed foods." Consumer groups are currently advocating the closure of these loopholes.


Source: http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/fooddrink/a/barcodes.htm


From SNOPES.COM

Country Code

Claim:   The first three digits of a bar code indicate a product's country of origin.

MIXTURE OF TRUE AND FALSE INFORMATION

Examples:   [Collected via e-mail, October 2008]

If the origin of what you buy is important to you, may I suggest that you write down on a card (the size of your credit card) and keep in your wallet, the following information.

Since no one is willing to share this information , I'm grateful for the person who dug it up, and passed it along. If we don't write it down and keep it, the information will simply blow through our brains, doing NO good.

Up to YOU:

The whole world is concerned about China made 'black hearted goods'. Can you differentiate which one is made in Canada, Philippines, Taiwan or China?

The first 3 digits of the barcode is the country code wherein the product was made.

Sample: All barcodes that start at 690 - 695 are all MADE IN CHINA. 471 is Made in Taiwan

Government and related departments won't educate the public. Therefore, we have to educate ourselves.

Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products 'Made in China', so they don't show from which country it is made.

However, you may now refer to the barcode, remember if the first 3 digits are: 690-695 then it is Made in China.

BARCODES

00 ~ 13 USA & CANADA
30 ~ 37 FRANCE
40 ~ 44 GERMANY
49 ~ JAPAN
50 ~ UK
57 ~ Denmark
64 ~ Finland
76 ~ Switzerland and Lienchtenstein
471 ~ Taiwan
480 ~ Philippines
628 ~ Saudi-Arabien
629 ~ United Arab Emirates
690 ~ 695 China
740 ~ 745 Central America

Please spread this to everyone
 

Origins:   In the wake of 2008 product scares involving melamine-tainted pet foods, lead-tainted toys, and melamine-tainted milk products, all originating in China, consumers have understandably become more apprehensive about the places of origin of the products they buy. The item reproduced above is a reflection of those fears, a message that purportedly provides

simple, helpful instructions for determining the country of origin of any product. According to this tip, a glance at the first three digits of a product's bar code will tell you where it was made.

Unfortunately, determination of product origins isn't quite as cut and dried as it's been made to sound here. The UPC-A bar code and its cousin, the European Article Number (EAN) bar code, incorporate two- or three-digit country codes, but what those country codes indicate is the country or economic region where a particular bar code was assigned, not necessarily the country where the product identified by that bar code originated:
Q: Does the EAN number indicate the country of origin of a product?

A: No it doesn't. The 3-digit prefix code indicates which numbering organization has allocated the bank of numbers to the company. For example, a company may have its headquarters in South Africa. The EAN organization in South Africa has the code "600," but all the products of the company may be manufactured in England. The English-made products would still have the "600" prefix code. The prefix code is a way to have 70-plus EAN member organizations issuing numbers without having to worry about duplicate numbers.
For example, if a Mexican company imported fruit from Guatemala, then packed and shipped that fruit to the United States, the country code portion of the final product's bar code would likely indicate an origin of Mexico rather than Guatemala. It may be the case that in some parts of the world there is a fair degree of correlation between assignment of bar codes and product origins (i.e., in some countries the preponderance of bar code assignments may apply to domestic products), but for surefire product origin identification consumers must rely upon other methods. In determining the country of origin of a product sold in the U.S., consumers should still look for "Made in [country name]" labels on the packaging.

Last updated:   20 November 2010

Source: http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/barcodes.asp
 
There are many sites that do synopsis & estimates this mail as a hoax. As time is not sufficient & I'm not copying down every sites info to this email. You can later google it. I think you now have got the idea & please don't argue about anything you don't know or sure about. Your friend might believed in this hoax mail & forwarded to you. Tell him to verify by researching before forwarding. Think of the wastage of bandwidth when 1000's of such hoax mails float over the internet!!!. Finally a tip from me: If a mail is encouraging you to forward, it might be a hoax in 90% of cases. If you want know more about Bar Code, it's regulations & specifications, here's some links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_code
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Article_Number
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/high-tech-gadgets/upc.htm
http://www.barcodeisland.com/upca.phtml
http://www.barcodeisland.com/ean13.phtml

With my best regards, 
Robin Mathew Rajan.
Contact Me Orkut Facebook Twitter
Chat Y! messenger/ robinmathewrajan Google Talk/ mathewwarm MSN/ robinmathewrajan@hotmail.com Skype/ robinmathewrajan


From: RAJA RAJESWARAN <svgasrly@yahoo.com>
To: Robin Mathew Rajan <robinmathewrajan@yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, 11 February 2011 10:29 PM
Subject: Re: [www.keralites.net] <<< ~ Know the Bar-Code ~ >>>

Thanks for your mail. Just because you've quoted a website address for your proof (http://www.hoax-slayer.com/product-bar-codes.shtml) do you mean to say that you are always correct. What's the guarantee that the website you mentioned is genuine or the owner "Brett Christensen" is genuine? Do you mean to say that a website claiming that they "debunk email hoaxes and expose Internet scams since 2003!", is genuine? Are all the websites in the world genuine enough to provide useful & correct info? If you prove that the website is genuine, I'll certainly be happy to know. The mail was sent by one of my friend. I'll certainly correct myself by knowing that the mail I've sent was a "HOAX" as you say. 
 
 With Regards
 
 P. Raja Rajeswaran
    Station Master/S. Railway 

From: Robin Mathew Rajan <robinmathewrajan@yahoo.com>
To: "Keralites@yahoogroups.com" <Keralites@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: "svgasrly@yahoo.com" <svgasrly@yahoo.com>
Sent: Fri, February 11, 2011 9:48:07 AM
Subject: Re: [www.keralites.net] <<< ~ Know the Bar-Code ~ >>>

Dear all,

This email is utterly a hoax as according to 'hoaxslayer.com', one of the trusted sites that analyses emails & distinguishes it from hoax or not. I urge all keralites not to forward any types of hoax or scam mails. It's just waste of bandwidth. Before forwarding, please verify that the particular email is true in all aspects & is from trusted sources.
Though there are many variations to this hoax email, the matter remains the same. Below is the extracted text from hoaxslayer.com regarding this email.

HoaxSlyer.com Analysis

Commentary:
This email claims that consumers can find out which country a product was manufactured in by examining the product's barcode. According to the message, the first three digits of the product barcode identify where the product was made. It suggests that concerned consumers could thus easily identify products made in countries with a dubious reputation for contaminated or dangerous products such as China by matching the first three barcode digits to a country list included in the message.

©iStockphoto.com/imagestock
Barcode
The first three digits of a product barcode do not always identify where the product was made
However, the information in the message is quite misleading.

The first three digits of European Article Number (EAN) barcodes are known as the manufacturing code and they do indicate which EAN numbering authority allocated a particular set of numbers. Every country that uses the EAN system has its own numbering authority which is responsible for assigning manufacturer codes for companies within its jurisdiction. These codes are sometimes referred to as "country codes". Thus, at first take, the information in the message may seem valid.

However, in reality, this is not the case. An FAQ published on bar code information website Bar Code 1 explains:
Does the barcode number indicate the country of origin of a product?

No it doesn't. The 3-digit prefix code indicates which numbering organization has allocated the bank of numbers to the company. For example, a company may have it's headquarters in South Africa. The EAN organization in South Africa has the code "600", but all the products of the company may be manufactured in England. The English-made products would still have the "600" prefix code. The prefix code is a way to have 70-plus EAN member organizations issuing numbers without having to worry about duplicate numbers.
This information is confirmed on a barcode prefix list published on global standards organisation, GS1's website:
GS1 Prefixes do not provide identification of country of origin for a given product. They simply provide number capacity to different countries for assignment from that location to companies who apply. Those companies in turn may manufacture products anywhere in the world.
Thus, while the first three digits of the product barcode may sometimes indicate where the product was manufactured, it will not always do so. For example, a barcode that has 690 as the first three digits indicates that the barcode was assigned by the Chinese EAN numbering authority. However, it does not necessarily mean that the product was actually manufactured in China.

Therefore, the advice given in this email is actually rather pointless. The information in the email would only be useful to consumers if the prefix invariably indicated where a product was manufactured. The fact that the barcode prefix is not a reliable and constant method of determining a product's country of manufacture means that, while the information in the email may be interesting, it is actually of little practical value.

Source: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/product-bar-codes.shtml

With my best regards, 
Robin Mathew Rajan.
Contact Me Orkut Facebook Twitter
Chat Y! messenger/ robinmathewrajan Google Talk/ mathewwarm MSN/ robinmathewrajan@hotmail.com Skype/ robinmathewrajan
From: RAJA RAJESWARAN <svgasrly@yahoo.com>
To: Keralites <Keralites@YahooGroups.com>
Cc:
Sent: Thursday, 10 February 2011 5:48 PM
Subject: [www.keralites.net] <<< ~ Know the Bar-Code ~ >>>

India Bar Code's 1st Three Digits are 890,

Buy Them as much as YOU can.  
This mail is very useful to know about BAR-CODE.
 
Dear all friends
The whole world is scared of China made "black hearted goods"
Can you differentiate which one is made in Taiwan or China ? Let me tell! u … the first 3 digits of barcode 690.691.692 is made in CHINA . Do not ever buy it for your own health.

If 1st three letters are '471', it is Made in Taiwan.

This is a human right to know, but the government and related department never educate the public, therefore we have to rescue ourselves. Remember.
 
00-13: USA & Canada
20-29: In-Store Functions
30-37: France
40-44: Germany
45: Japan (also 49)
46: Russian Federation
471: Taiwan
474: Estonia
475: Latvia
477: Lithuania
479: Sri Lanka
480: Philippines
482: Ukraine
484: Moldova
485: Armenia
486: Georgia
487: Kazakhstan
489: Hong Kong
49: Japan (JAN-13)
50: United Kingdom
520: Greece
528: Lebanon
529: Cyprus
531: Macedonia
535: Malta
539: Ireland
54: Belgium & Luxembourg
560: Portugal
569: Iceland
57: Denmark
590: Poland
594: Romania
599: Hungary
600 & 601: South Africa
609: Mauritius
611: Morocco
613: Algeria
619: Tunisia
622: Egypt
625: Jordan
626: Iran
64: Finland
690-692: China
70: Norway
729: Israel
73: Sweden
740: Guatemala
741: El Salvador
742: Honduras
743: Nicaragua
744: Costa Rica
746: Dominican Republic
750: Mexico
759: Venezuela
76: Switzerland
770: Colombia
773: Uruguay
775: Peru
777: Bolivia
779: Argentina
780: Chile
784: Paraguay
785: Peru
786: Ecuador
789: Brazil
80 - 83: Italy
84: Spain
850: Cuba
858: Slovakia
859: Czech Republic
860: Yugoslavia
869: Turkey
87: Netherlands
880: South Korea
885: Thailand
888: Singapore
890: India
893: Vietnam
899: Indonesia
90 & 91: Austria
93: Australia
94: New Zealand
955: Malaysia
977: International Standard Serial Number for Periodicals (ISSN)
978: International Standard Book Numbering (ISBN)
979: International Standard Music Number (ISMN)
980: Refund receipts
981 & 982: Common Currency Coupons
99: Coupons


With more and more milk products from China and Taiwan having problem, we  must  check where the things are produced. Here is a way to differentiate Taiwan made products and China made products : by looking at first three digits of its Bar Code.

If the 1st 3 digits are 690, 691 or 692 - China made
If the 1st 3 digits are 471 – Taiwan made
So please spread the words to everyone...... 
Nowadays, China businessmen know the consumers do not prefer products "made in china", so they won't show made from which country.
However, you may now refer to the barcodes, if the first 3 digits is 690-692 then it is made in China .
 With Regards
 
 P. Raja Rajeswaran
    Station Master/S. Railway 
www.keralites.net


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