Bar codes

Bar codes are machine-readable codes that contain product-specific information, formed by parallel lines of varying thickness separated by spaces of varying length. Light pens or laser scanners usually read the information, and standard international codes such as EAN/UPC ensure compatibility worldwide. They enable rapid, efficient data capture, better product traceability, automated storage, tighter stock control and faster checkout. In food supply chains they are the backbone of recall systems, letting companies trace a suspect batch from shelf back to source in minutes, and they underpin the traceability records that modern food law demands.