Barcode Prefixes May Not Show if a Product is Made in Israel
The Claim
Barcodes with prefixes 729 and 871 mean that a product is made in Israel.
News posted on
Emerging story
A claim that barcodes with prefixes 729 and 871 mean that a product is made in Israel has been shared in multiple posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
Misbar’s Analysis
MENA: While barcodes can identify the country of origin of the manufacturing company, they do not indicate where the product is made. The first three digits do not signify where the product was manufactured. It identifies where the company is headquartered or location, but the product could have been made in another country. Since a company has to apply for a GS1 prefix, the state where they are located to receive their prefix, and can choose to manufacture their product anywhere.
GS1, a non-profit organization that issues company prefixes for barcodes. According to GS1, the prefix GSI number for Israeli companies is 729. However, the same page also states that company prefixes are based on the GS1 prefixes below. Note that since GS1 member companies can manufacture products anywhere in the world, GS1 prefixes do not identify the country of origin for a given product.
According to the GS1 list, 821 is one of the prefixes issued by GS1 Italy.
