Labels Can Lie: How to Read Bar Codes
With all the food and pet products now coming from China, make sure to scrutinize the labels. But no matter what the front of a box or package says, turn it over and study the bar code. Many products no longer show where they were made; they show only where the distributor is located. The bar code will show the product's origin. Below are the first three digits of the barcode, and where the product is made: 00 - 09 . . . . . . . . . USA and/or Canada. 30 - 37 . . . . . . . . . France 40 - 44 . . . . . . . . . Germany 49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Japan 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . UK 471 . . . . . . . . . . . . Taiwan 690 - 692 . . . . . . . China Also, if a product says "made in PROC," this is People's Republic of China-China.
