Does a barcode show a product's country of origin?

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No. The first two or three digits of an EAN or UPC barcode are the GS1 prefix, which shows the national GS1 organization where the brand owner registered — not where the product was manufactured. A brand can register in one country and make its products in another.

It is one of the most common barcode myths: that the opening digits reveal where an item was made. They don't. Those digits identify the GS1 member organization the company joined to license its barcodes — usually the country where the brand owner is based, which may be nowhere near the factory.

Common GS1 prefix ranges include:

00–13United States & Canada
30–37France
40–44Germany
50United Kingdom
57Denmark
590Poland
690–699China (GS1 China)
80–83Italy
84Spain
87Netherlands
90–91Austria

To find where a product was really made, read the label — for many product categories the country of origin is a legal labelling requirement. The barcode won't tell you. You can still use the barcode to look up the brand and manufacturer on record: try our barcode lookup.

FAQ

Does barcode prefix 690 mean 'Made in China'?

No. Prefixes 690–699 mean the barcode was registered with GS1 China, usually because the brand owner is based there. The product itself may be manufactured anywhere. Country of manufacture is only reliably shown on the product label.

How can I tell where a product was actually made?

Check the physical label or packaging. For many categories the country of origin is a legal labelling requirement — the barcode is not a reliable source for it.

Related: Barcode lookup · Product recalls · More barcode guides

ProductGuru is an independent information service and provides no legal or safety guarantees; for official product data consult GS1 and the manufacturer. Free to cite with attribution.