Retailers already trialling new codes that contain sell-by dates, product instructions, allergens and ingredients
It is the zebra-striped tag that has become ubiquitous over the last 50 years, but the barcode’s days could be numbered. The global organisation overseeing their use has said a more powerful alternative will be readable by retailers everywhere within two years.
New codes that contain sell-by dates, product instructions, allergens and ingredients, as well as prices, will mean “we will say goodbye to the old-fashioned barcode”, according to GS1, an international non-profit that maintains the global standard for barcodes.
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