PACKAGING FOCUS FIE REVIEW
Kennedy’s Confection reports on what confectionery manufacturers need to consider when moving from linear barcodes to the new 2D code format – the GS1 Digital Link.
2D Codes
Considerations for the move to
D
id you know that the first-ever linear barcode was scanned on 26th June 1974? It was created to provide a solution for supermarkets, to facilitate price look-up at the point
of sale (POS). Today it is a become common standard for commerce right across the globe, with global specifications being managed by the international standards organisation, GS1. Over 6 billion linear barcodes are scanned
every day. However, as demand increases for more product information to be available on packaging, more brands are starting to utilise 2D barcode formats, to help fulfil broader business goals.
GS1 is also preparing to transition away from 1D barcodes to a new 2D barcode format – the GS1 Digital Link. At the GS1 Global Forum in Brussels in February 2023, the standards body announced an official sunrise period for 2D codes, starting in 2027. Lee Metters, Group Business Development
Director, and James Cutforth, Global Sector Manager, Domino Printing Sciences, have offered their thoughts on the new GS1 Digital Link and challenges that it might pose for confectionery producers. GS1 Digital Link is a simple, standards-
based structure for encoding information in QR codes – effectively taking the retail barcode information and embedding it on the end of a URL – allowing that information to become part of the web. Identifiers such as a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) – the number encoded in a linear barcode and used to identify a product at the checkout – are located within the Digital Link QR codes and become gateways to a range of information about a product.
Why the transition? In recent years, many brands have responded to the increasing demand for more data by adding secondary barcodes to their product packaging. A single pack might now include a QR code for consumer-facing applications
52 Kennedy’s Confection December/January 2023/24
alongside multiple other data carriers for use at POS, internal stock control, or supply chain operations management. Having multiple 2D codes on product packaging can become confusing and can pose scanning issues at POS. It also takes up valuable space on the packaging. This is why GS1 has set in motion the move to a single, data-rich 2D code, which will allow everything, from warehouse machinery and POS scanners through to specialised apps and smart fridges, to obtain information about a product. A single GS1 Digital Link will be able to
deliver different information, depending on the device used to scan the code. It will provide opportunities to improve supply chain visibility, ensure product safety, and can provide information to consumers, who will be able to scan the code using a smart device. The GS1 Digital Link will, however, come with some challenges for confectionery manufacturers. Firstly, there is a need to consider what information to include inside the code – whether this will be dynamic, batch- or item-related data, or higher-level product-focused information. Brands may also need to access and aggregate data from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and production lines for use in the 2D GS1 Digital Link.
KennedysConfection.com
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