Introduction

Woolworths in Australia is leading the way in the implementation of 2D barcodes in food retail. In 2019, the company started trialling 2D barcodes at point-of-sale in order to reduce food waste, improve food safety and make products easier to manage throughout the supply chain. In 2020, following that successful trial, they began their transition to using the GS1 DataMatrix on their perishable products, beginning with fresh meat and poultry.

Retailers, brand owners and manufacturers all benefit from the move from traditional to 2D barcodes. From the retailer’s perspective, the large amount of data the code can hold including pack date, product batch, expiry date and price greatly improved traceability, inventory management, recall management and waste prevention. Brand owners and manufacturers benefit from improved traceability and recall management, protecting their brands and products perception in critical situations such as product recalls. Consumers are unable to buy expired or recalled products at the checkout thereby improving food safety and customer experience.

Overview

• Type of product: Fresh meat & Poultry
• Data carrier: GS1 DataMatrix
• Data encoded:
  • GTIN Price (Variable Measure)
  • Weight (Variable Measure)
  • Best before date
  • Use by date
  • Batch and Lot numbers