In an age where authenticity is of utmost importance to consumers, the circulation of false claims regarding barcodes has raised concerns among shoppers in South Africa.
Recently, messages have circulated suggesting that products lacking a barcode beginning with “600“ were either fake or illegal. This comes on the back of an outbreak of food-borne diseases in townships, which has raised public anger against foreign national-owned spaza shops for allegedly selling expired or contaminated goods.
However, the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) has stepped forward to clarify this misinformation.
The CGCSA yesterday asserted that while local products produced or packaged in South Africa were assigned barcodes that start with “600”, this did not mean that products with different barcode prefixes were counterfeit.
“Just because a barcode doesn’t start with ‘600’ doesn’t mean the product is fake or illegal,” the association stated in a public briefing.
This clarification is part of the CGCSA’s ongoing commitment to fight misinformation that could mislead consumers.
As a prominent industry association representing over 9 000 member companies across the consumer goods, retail, and services sectors, the CGCSA highlighted the pivotal role of GS1 South Africa, responsible for issuing barcode country codes.
GS1 Global, of which GS1 South Africa is a crucial member, oversees a framework where 118 member organisations worldwide issue barcodes specific to their jurisdictions. For example, while South Africa uses prefixes “600-601“, the UK employs “500-509” for its products.
The CGCSA explained that every company using GS1 barcodes was assigned a unique prefix that can indicate the country of registration but does not dictate the product's actual manufacturing source.
“For instance, a company may be registered in another country while its products are produced locally,” the CGCSA stated.
Thus, the CGCSA said it was incorrect for consumers to infer that a barcode prefix not starting with “600“ denotes illegitimacy.
The organisation acknowledged growing concerns regarding counterfeit and illicit products, especially within the food and beverage sector.
Nevertheless, it emphasised the importance of accurate information in helping consumers make informed purchasing decisions.
“GS1 is a neutral, global collaboration platform that fosters standards to enhance data exchange and ensure consumer safety,” the CGCSA reassured.
To further guide consumers in their shopping experiences, the CGCSA offered several tips on how to identify genuine products. Consumers are encouraged to:
- Look for complete labels detailing the product name, ingredients, manufacturer information—including physical address—and expiration dates
- Shop from reliable retailers, especially for food items
- Check for valid trademarks and branding if a product claims to belong to a specific brand.
Additionally, the CGCSA is developing an app that will assist consumers in verifying the authenticity of products purchased in various settings—be it from large retailers, online stores, or informal markets. In the meantime, the public is directed to verify barcode legitimacy through the link provided by GS1 South Africa: gs1za.org/solutions/verified.
As part of their efforts to combat corruption in the product supply chain, the CGCSA is also working with companies to ensure the use of GS1-approved barcodes.
The Consumer Goods Crime Risk Initiative remains a crucial program assisting in securing the food supply chain to guarantee that products reach local shops safely.
For individuals who suspect they have encountered counterfeit products, they are encouraged to report their concerns via the hotline at 0800 014 856.
BUSINESS REPORT