How product labeling can help you identify counterfeits and check expiration dates.

It turns out that this is not just useless code.

What is product labeling

Several years ago in Russia, a special Data Matrix code began to be applied to goods. By scanning it, you can find out what kind of product it is, who made it, what its composition is, expiration date, and so on. Visually, the Data Matrix is ​​similar to a QR code and looks like this:

First, the manufacturer or importer applies a code to the product. Then it is scanned at each stage: this is done by the wholesaler, store employees during acceptance, and the seller during sales. As a result, you can track all movements of a product from creation to sale.

According to the government, such measures will help fight counterfeit goods. If a product suddenly pops up out of nowhere and its path cannot be traced, then it is clear that something is wrong with the product. Most likely, we are talking about a fake . But it could also be a gray product that was brought into the country illegally.

Sounds good. However, there is a nuance: labeling is not free, and these costs will fall on the shoulders of the manufacturer or importer. They need to print the code on a label or stick it on the box, purchase the appropriate equipment, and so on.

What should be labeled

Labeling is being introduced gradually. Usually they take a group of products and first start applying tags in experimental mode. This enables manufacturers to prepare for the day when test labeling becomes mandatory.

The Data Matrix code already exists or is about to appear on these product groups:

• Fur coats and other fur products. They were the first. They began to be tagged back in 2016 - as an experiment, the results of which launched a large tagging program. The application of codes became mandatory on August 12, 2016.
• Medicines .
• Tobacco products.
• Shoes.
• Perfume and eau de toilette. Until September 30, 2021, sellers can sell unmarked remnants of goods that were produced or imported into the Russian Federation before October 1, 2020.
• Cameras and flash lamps.
• Tires and tyres.
• Clothing and a number of other light industrial goods. With this group, not everything is obvious, because the marks should appear on products with certain codes, which there is no point in delving into for the consumer. Without going into details, Data Matrix is ​​worth looking for on bed linen , table linen, toilet and kitchen linen, outerwear, and also on blouses for women and girls.
• Milk products. Codes should already be on ice cream, cheeses and dairy products with a shelf life of more than 40 days. From December 1, they are mandatory for goods stored and smaller. At the same time, labels may not be applied to baby and special food, as well as to products weighing up to 30 grams.
• Bottled water - from March 1, 2022.
• Bicycles and bicycle frames - also from March 1, 2022.

In addition, in 2022 and later we can expect mandatory labeling of dietary supplements, wheelchairs, beer, low-alcohol drinks and antiseptics . Experiments regarding these groups of products are still ongoing or have just been completed.

It is planned that by 2024 the labeling will apply to all product categories. But this is not certain: there have already been cases when the deadlines for certain products were postponed.

What is the benefit of product labeling for the average buyer?

We have already realized that labeling is a headache and an additional expense for business. But for us, ordinary consumers, there is some benefit from it.

Detect a fake

Counterfeiting is not only a problem for the state or manufacturers, who lose profits. This applies to most consumers, especially in the era of the proliferation of marketplaces .

For example, you buy a pair of shoes from a well-known manufacturer through an online store. It's not that cheap, but the prices are lower than on the official website. But how can you guess: is it just a discount or is the seller offering a fake? But there is a difference. A counterfeit product may deteriorate faster and may not perform as advertised. For example, running shoes should have good cushioning. Without it, training can turn into torture.

With medications, for obvious reasons, getting the original is even more important. It’s unlikely that anyone wants to buy crushed chalk without the active ingredient.

Find out the expiration date of the product

The Data Matrix code contains data on when the product was produced and how long it is still usable. If it matters, of course. Such data is relevant for medicines or dairy products - sticking a sticker with a new date will no longer work.

This is all important information about the product. All that remains is to figure out how to find it.

How to obtain information using the Data Matrix code using the Honest Sign application

There is a special program for scanning tags - “Honest Sign”.

Download

Price: Free

Its contents are intuitive. It has four pages:

1. Home - various instructions are collected here.
2. Tasks - developers offer users to scan products and win cash prizes.

1. History - the page stores an archive of scans and complaints about counterfeit products.
2. Profile - your phone number is indicated here, as well as achievement icons. To open them, you need to scan a product from a group. And if you click on the message icon in the upper right corner, you can write to technical support or find answers to frequently asked questions.

But the most interesting thing, of course, is the button in the middle, the scan button. Pressing it activates the camera with a frame on the screen. This frame needs to be hovered over the Data Matrix code to find out everything about the product.

Let's look at how this function works using the example of products from three popular groups: shoes, medicine and packaged cheese.

Shoes

Here is a box of a pair of summer shoes:

If you scan the Data Matrix code, the application will tell you what kind of product it is and what it is made of. The data corresponds (ideally) to what is written on the box. And this is exactly what you should look at after scanning - to compare the information. If it does not match, you can complain about an unscrupulous seller - the button is at the bottom of the page.

Here the only thing that raises doubts is the inscription that the product may be on sale. The application states that changing status takes time. There may be nothing wrong with the product. On the other hand, a pair acquired around the same time has had its status changed. There is a small risk that the code on the sandals is from another pair that has not yet been purchased, and it is a fake.

Medicines

Data Matrix codes are also on them. To find the mark, you need to twist the pack.

After scanning, you can find out whether the drug is in the system, what active ingredient it contains and how long it is still valid. There is nothing wrong with this medicine.

Cheese

The prototype (more precisely, its packaging) is not very photogenic, but is ready for research.

As a result of scanning, you can find out not only the composition, expiration date and other information, but also move from the card to the veterinary control certificate. The very presence of a document, however, already allows us to hope for the safety of the product.

What else can the “Honest Sign” application do?

It has several additional features.

Scan barcodes and receipts

It's not very clear why to do this. Unless you compare the information stated on the packaging with information from the application database, which does not contain all the products. The program is ready to tell you about storage conditions and composition. But you have a label with a barcode in your hands, everything is already on it.

On the other hand, everything is usually written small on the packages, but in the appendix it is large and structured, convenient.

“Honest Sign” can also scan and save receipts using a QR code. Useful if you want to collect information about purchases.

Set a “medicine alarm”

The app will remind you when it's time to take your pill.

Recognize symbols on packaging

Using a sign is easier than describing everything with text: it looks nice and takes up little space. But if you don’t know what the symbols mean, you need a decoder. The "Honest Sign" application copes with this function quite well.

For example, it deciphered the symbols from the eyeshadow palette correctly. Even the last icon was generally identified correctly by the application. The program calculated this: “It is found only on cosmetics and, accordingly, means that the container is intended specifically for this type of product.” This is the logo of the cosmetics brand Anastasia Beverly Hills, so in general everything is logical.

Do you use the “Honest Sign” application? Share your experience in the comments.