Start Reading Barcodes-How to and Why

Originally posted by aboutface
reply to post by theRhenn

 

but
I've noticed that it says "packaged in" --which to me means it isn't home grown. I am particularly attentive to food products now. Great subject for us to think about. Thanks. S&F

Good point. Then, hardly anything we buy anymore has anything to do with the US. I wonder if you can goto china and buy a shirt "made in the USA"... And not that Usa country that we were getting duped on once upon a time.

Originally posted by samlf3rd
BUY USA & CANADIAN MADE by watching for "0" at the beginning of the number.
We need every boost we can get!

And once again, it is proven that Americans think the whole world revolves around them.

Its like they "know" in an abstract sense that the internet is a world wide thing, and probably "know" in an abstract sense that there are ATS members all around the world, but only when they stop to think about it.
Otherwise its just the default position of "US".

This is old news. There were some studies about this subject and the outcome (then) whas that it's impossible to track everything down to it's source.

Most, if not all companies manufacture in China to a point. Apple, Nike, etc etc all China. Might be assembled in EU or US, but made in China. Labour is cheap there and companies have huge profits because of that.

So no more sneakers then? No more xboxes, playstations, levi's jeans and ipods? Come on, this is is a global thing, not just the US and we all had our share in it.

This is interesting, and I agree with you on "buying American" in most aspects...

However, I have a serious food 'allergy'* - and American food products are so poorly labeled that I can't trust most of them. I can confidently purchase most anything from Europe, Australia, or NZ... but not the USA. Sadly.

With all our nanny-state and bully-state laws, we can't manage to actually have anything place that actually protects the citizenry of the USA when it counts.



*it's actually an auto-immune problem and quite serious but for most people this is splitting hairs, so nevermind.

Originally posted by Starwise
One day when I went shopping, I experimented and when I picked up items I wanted...9 out of 10 items was made in China........very very depressing

After 9/11 there was something like official campaign "Buy American!" ... so one girl/guy tried to fulfill this idea and after one week gave up. Reason? It was impossible. Aside of fresh fruit and vegetables EVERYTHING in shops was not fully "Made in USA". Ok, you can find canned beans grown in US but can was manufactured in China and canning was done in some sweatshop in Mexico ...
I tried to find original story - it was really well written - but realized, that there is too many similar accounts.

Thanks for that - Great S&F

Radiation from Japan comes to mind!

Originally posted by alfa1

And once again, it is proven that Americans think the whole world revolves around them.

Its like they "know" in an abstract sense that the internet is a world wide thing, and probably "know" in an abstract sense that there are ATS members all around the world, but only when they stop to think about it.
Otherwise its just the default position of "US".

You are right. Even here on ATS many members see USA as the World ... other countries are somewhere in foggy frontier of civilisation if they even exists. Many Americans realized that there is something like Afghanistan with first bomb "Made in USA" dropped there, etc ... .
But this is really global problem and you can OP barcode hint use in your country. I'm not US citizen nor I do live in US. But IF I can choose between thing made in Germany and China I usually choose product of Germany - because 1. price difference is usually many times outweighted by quality of product, 2. there was no need to transport thing over half of the globe, 3. I'll rather support close neighbors economy then far neighbor economy.
To buy something should be responsible, rational act and OP is just hinting you how to do it. just in typically US centric way. If child (and for the rest of the world Americans often look like kindergarten) do good thing but not in correct way you say: "Perfect, but next time ..."

I can't believe people are falling for this. Again.

Q. Does the EAN number indicate the country of origin of a product?

A. No it doesn't. The 3 digit prefix code indicates which numbering organization has allocated the bank of numbers to the company.

Link to chain email

The information above is misleading and unreliable, on two counts:

1. There's more than one kind of bar code in use around the world. UPC bar codes, the type most commonly used in the United States, do not typically contain a country identifier. A different type of bar code known as EAN-13 does contain a country identifier, but it's more commonly used in Europe and other countries outside the U.S.

Urban legend link

Even in the case of EAN-13 bar codes, the digits associated with country of origin don’t necessarily specify where the product was manufactured, but rather where the bar code itself was registered. A product manufactured in China and processed in France, could have an EAN-13 bar code identifying it as a French product.

Another link

The growing ability for posters here to read an opening thread and not look at any of the replies that provide information that contradicts the initial story is the sign of growing ignorance by many.

This is why the OP here has had so many flags I think.

The ignorant deserve to live in the misleading world they are victims of if they can't be bothered to use their grey matter.

I liken the scenario of the topic for this thread like buying bread marked "baked fresh in store", when it was made 6 months ago in a factory, frozen, shipped, and then stuck in the store oven for 10 minutes by someone who's never touched a bag of flour.

Baaaah!

S&F for you man, good to let people know how to relaunch the local economy

Originally posted by apollass
S&F for you man, good to let people know how to relaunch the local economy

See what I mean?

reply to post by alfa1


Well Alfa you are acting ignorant-unaware

If you would pay attention I was stressing to everyone in the whole world to buy products form their own area-it will help all economies. Not just the USA.

I am smart enough to read-I do know other people from other countries are on here. So make a story out of my thoughts on how to help people-You are what is wrong with the world, you give up-I don't. I never see an ending and most people do, they are content and will never try to change because it is someone else's job. I don't littler, because I don't want someone else to have to pick it up, or destroy my planet. But I am fighting a losing battle, try to help and someone like you comes along.

Think about this ATS'er (not all of you) before you go and walk into a conversation make sure you have something to say about the topic that expresses your intellectuality. Do you really walk around people in public places and jump in their story with something irrelevant-no, you would come off retarded.

Keep ATS scientific, that is; add data.

reply to post by zeddissad2

Thanks Zed, you're right I am simply trying to raise some awareness here, and some replies seem as if a child wrote it.
I love watching people get all bent out of shape over someone's thoughts-hilarious.

Don't help the topic, just step in and say-OP you're wrong I am right you're a moron, good thing I was here to save the day by telling you how stupid you are....Just help the topic evolve people, it doesn't make you look smarter by telling someone they are stupid.

reply to post by billxam

You could've said, hey OP I found this it seems as if there are some loop holes.

Are you saying we should not pay attention to manufacturing codes, and made in tags? Should we keep doing what we are doing because our economies are in good shape?
You're right I'm falling for something. There aren't any jobs (in America) because we buy everything from every other country.