Thirty-Fifth Anniversary of the Bar Code

The U.P.C.’s success has inspired the creation of new ways to identify products for the benefit of consumers and industry:

• The newest bar code, GS1 DataBar™, can be found increasingly on coupons and loose produce, such as apples, pears, and tomatoes. On Jan. 1, 2010, supermarkets will begin scanning and processing the GS1 DataBar, which can be configured in different formats to fit a smaller space or carry additional information, such as “best before” or expiration dates, or lot numbers.