Hi W! I checked Snopes.com on this and found it to be only a "slim maybe" method for determining country of origin.
According to Snopes, it's only in EAS Barcodes (European Assigned) that the first three point to a country. And even then, the numbers only point to the country where the numbers came from... mostly, where the packaging was done. The example given was Guatamala sending produde to Mexico. Mexico pakages it and sends it to the US. *IF* it's using the EAS Barcode system it would show country of origin being Mexico, NOT Guatamala. (Likewise, I imagine US-made TV parts shipped to Mexico for assembly and packaging would indicate a Mexican made TV.) Too bad it isn't as easy as reading a barcode... Sure would be nice! The Snopes article is here: http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/barcodes.asp Best to you All, --Tod ---- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Good information!! > > > Good to know because of the problems with food processed in China. > > > The whole world is scared of China made 'black hearted goods'. Can you > differentiate which one is made in the USA, Philippines, Taiwan or China? > For > your Information ...the first 3 digits of the barcode is the country code > wherein the product was made. > > Sample: all barcodes that start with 690,691,692 until 695 are all MADE IN > CHINA. > 471 is Made in Taiwan > > > This is our human right to know, but the government and related departments > never educate the public, therefore we have to RESCUE ourselves. > > Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products > 'made in china', so they don't show from which country it is made. > > However, you may now refer to the barcode; remember if the first 3 digits > are 690 - 695 then it is Made in China . > > 00 ~ 13 USA & CANADA > 30 ~ 37 FRANCE > 40 ~ 44 GERMANY > 49 ~ JAPAN > 50 ~ UK > 57 ~ Denmark > 64 ~ Finland > 76 ~ Switzerland and Lienchtenstein > 471 ~ Taiwan > 628 ~ Saudi Arabia > 629 ~ United Arab Emirates > 690 - 695 ~ China > 740 - 745 ~ Central America > All 480 Codes are Made in the Philippines.
