Move to 2D barcodes now to meet regulatory compliance demands, current and future
Consumer goods segments, including FMCG and pharma, face the perennial issues of regulatory compliance, consumer safety, and the need for efficient supply chain management. One of the most effective ways to address these challenges both now and in the immediate future, is by implementing 2D barcodes on the packaging of products. 2D barcodes such as QR codes, Data Matrix codes, and others, offer a powerful tool for helping to ensure compliance with regulations including the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and the EU Wine Rule, while also paving the way for future regulatory demands. The global standards body, the GS1, has indeed already launched its 2D barcode standard, the GS1 Digital Link, anticipating the demand for a globalized standard in 2D barcode printing and a gradual move away from traditional 1D barcodes.
2D barcodes for FSMA compliance
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), enacted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), aims to boost the safety of the U.S. food supply by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to its prevention. Under its Final Rule on Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods, by January 2026, producers and retailers will have to be able to conduct recalls of certain fresh and frozen products in 24-48 hours or face a large fine. The rule covers products including fresh fruit and vegetables, prepared salads, frozen fish and seafood and soft cheeses and nut butters.
Implementing 2D barcodes on the product packaging is a direct way to achieve compliance with the FSMA Final Rule. These codes can store a significant amount of data in a tiny space, including on traceability. By scanning a 2D code, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers can instantly access this information, ensuring that products can be tracked accurately from farm to fork. In the event of a contamination issue or recall, 2D barcodes enable rapid identification and fast removal of affected products from the supply chain, thereby protecting consumers and minimizing the financial impact on the company. A combination of 2D coding hardware and software are the answer to full compliance with the regulation.
EU Wine Rule Compliance
The European Union recently introduced specific regulations governing the labeling and traceability of wine products, Regulation (EU) 2021/2117, known as the EU Wine Rule. These regulations require detailed information about the origin, composition, and production process of wines to be clearly labeled and traceable throughout the supply chain. This is a challenge given the ever-shifting composition of wine, not only following storage, but also during bottling or blending. Additionally, sugar, acidifiers or stabilizers may be added right before bottling, according to order or product characteristics.
2D barcodes can be used to meet the stringent requirements of the EU Wine Rule by providing an efficient way to encode all necessary information at the bottling stage. For example, a QR code on a wine bottle can contain data about the vineyard, grape variety, production date, and batch number. This information can be easily accessed by scanning the code, ensuring compliance with EU regulations while also offering transparency to consumers who can access detailed product information with their smartphones. For the most up-to-date and accurate composition data, 2D barcode printing conducted on-the-fly at the labeling stage using software to enable the generation of unique or batch-specific QR codes providing the most up-to-date ingredient information possible.
Preparing for future regulatory demands
These two new rules are by no means the only recently -introduced laws on the storage and provision of obligatory traceability data. In India, 2023 saw the amended Drug Rules come into force, with the obligation for more than 300 medicines produced or retailed domestically to carry a web-linked dynamic QR code or barcode on packaging to help protect the $60 billion Indian pharma industry from counterfeiting. Responding to counterfeit and low-quality product, the EU recently introduced a regulation for honey producers to provide traceability data in order to protect the producers of authentic honey.
As global supply chains become more complex and consumer expectations for transparency increase, it is likely that future regulations will place even greater emphasis on traceability, safety, and information accessibility. By adopting 2D barcode printing technology now, FMCG companies can not only comply with current regulations but also position themselves to meet future demands.
For instance, as sustainability becomes a more significant concern, regulators may require detailed information on the environmental impact of products, such as carbon footprints, sourcing practices, and recycling instructions. Indeed, the European Union’s incoming Digital Product Passport will be a major next step in this direction with traceability data to facilitate product circularity in the textile sector and footwear to be obligatory across Europe from as early as 2027. 2D barcodes can store relevant data in a compact and accessible format, enabling companies to meet these potential future requirements without overhauling their labeling processes. For this reason, brands across the FMCG sector are implementing 2D barcode strategies to get ahead of the regulatory curve, among other reasons, like boosting brand loyalty and opening up new marketing opportunities.
