Do you know that there’s a way to tell the origin of the products you buy? It’s quite simple actually; all you need to do is read the UPC (Universal Product Code) and know which one corresponds to which country.
This is very useful nowadays because we’re seeing more and more products imported from China with suspicious background which have been under scrutiny due to various reasons. That’s why it’s advisable to know what you’re buying and where you’re buying from if you want to protect your health and reduce the health risks.
When you pick a product from the supermarket you need to pay attention to the first three digits of the UPS barcode because they’ll tell you the country of origin. For example if the UPS barcode starts with 695 or 690 the food or other item you’ve picked up was manufactured in China. Here are the other UPS barcodes and their corresponding countries of origin.
00 ~ 13 USA and Canada
690 ~ 695 China
30 ~ 37 France
40 ~ 44 Germany
49 ~ Japan
50 ~ UK
57 ~ Denmark
64 ~ Finland
76 ~ Switzerland and Liechtenstein
471 ~ Taiwan
480 ~ Philippines
628 ~ Saudi-Arabian
629 ~ United Arab Emirates
740 ~ 745 Central America
However, a company may throw you a curve ball now and then. For example if a company from India imports fruit from China but prepare it themselves for export the barcode will show the products are from India, not China. That’s why you should look it up on your own and get informed so that you know exactly what you’re buying. I’m sure you’d like to protect your health and avoid any dangerous and toxic substances you may come in contact with. The best way to do it is to get acquainted with all the laws and regulations and carefully select the products you use!
Source:
http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com
