The barcode's days are numbered.

EAN-13 barcode

WHAT IT HOLDS

A product identifier. That's it.

WHAT IT ALLOWS

Scanning at the checkout.

GS1 Digital Link QR code

WHAT IT HOLDS

Identifier, batch, expiry date, serial number and a link to the full product record.

WHAT IT ALLOWS

Scanning, tracing, recalling one specific batch, and informing the consumer from their own phone.

It is not a ban, it is a readiness date

Barcodes do not become illegal in 2027. What happens is that from that date retailers can require the QR code and stop accepting the EAN alone. Through the transition, both formats sit on the same pack.

The real market horizon runs to 2030

2027 is the target for checkouts to be ready; full replacement on shelf is expected around 2030. That is no reason to wait: you change the pack, not the supermarket checkout.

The year every checkout in the world should be able to read a 2D code.

Expected horizon for full replacement on shelf.

A single code carrying identifier, batch, expiry, serial number and link.

First UK supermarket to move a full product range to GS1 QR codes, starting with its own-label range in April 2026.

Has rolled out GS1 QR codes across 50 own-brand references in France.

Uses QR codes on 100% of its variable-weight meat, now extending to fixed-weight fresh produce.

Piloting 2D code processing at the checkout with GS1 Germany.

The data lives in the system, not in the artwork

Batch and expiry travel inside the code. Your line has to generate correct variable data in real time, rather than a designer leaving it in place.

Printing is not enough: it has to be verified

A QR code with poor contrast, badly centred or clipped is a QR code the checkout cannot read. Unlike an EAN, nobody spots it by eye.

A badly generated code is a silent error

A QR code can be perfectly printed and carry the wrong batch. Visually flawless, functionally false.

Two codes share the pack

Through the transition, packs carry both EAN and QR. Both have to be correct, and both have to agree with each other.

Traceability moves up a level, and so does the expectation

In a recall, the QR code tells you exactly which batches and where. That is a major advantage, provided the underlying data is good.

Know where you stand

Confirm your GS1 prefix and review what information your packs carry today. Ask your three main customers about their QR timeline.

Decide what goes inside

Product identifier always; batch and expiry according to what your customer and your category require. Less is more at the start.

Produce it

Check whether your coding equipment prints QR codes at consistent quality at line speed, and whether your system can feed it correct variable data.

Verify it

Check in line that every code reads, and that it says what it should say. Without this step, the first three are a gamble.

Is it a legal requirement?

No. Sunrise 2027 is an industry standard initiative driven by GS1, not a piece of legislation. The real obligation arrives through your contracts with customers, not through an official gazette. In practice, for a supplier to major retail, the effect is the same.

Does the barcode disappear in 2027?

Not overnight. Through the transition, packs carry both EAN and QR. From 2027 the EAN becomes optional, and full replacement on shelf is expected around 2030.

What happens if I do nothing?

For a while, nothing. After that, the risk is losing a tender or a contract renewal because your customer has moved to requiring QR and you don't produce it. It is a commercial risk, not a regulatory penalty.

Will any QR code do?

No. It has to be a QR code under the GS1 Digital Link standard, which encodes the product identifier in a format the checkout understands. A marketing QR code pointing at your website is no use at the point of sale.

How much does it cost to adapt?

It depends on what you already have. If your coding equipment prints variable data at quality, the change is minor. If the code is pre-printed on the packaging and you have no in-line verification, the project is bigger. The assessment is free and it is done by looking at your line.

How do I know my codes read properly?

By verifying them in production, pack by pack. A manual check at the start of the shift won't catch a printer drifting halfway through the batch.

What if the QR prints perfectly but carries the wrong batch?

That is the hardest failure to detect and the most expensive. A readable code with wrong content passes every visual check and fails exactly when it matters most: in a recall. Which is why verification has to read the content, not just confirm a code is there.

Where do I start?

By finding out where you stand. You can bring your own packs to our laboratory in Castellón and see in a single morning what an inspection system detects on your real product. No strings attached and no sales pitch along the way.

Where is the official source?

At your national GS1 member organisation. See GS1 Digital Link for the standard itself.

So why are we telling you all this?

Because we have spent thirty years inspecting production lines, and because one of our systems already reads these codes.

PackVision is an in-line visual inspection system for food packaging. It verifies sealing, labelling, date and batch, barcode and QR code, at up to 90 packs per minute, without stopping the line and rejecting what is defective.

Bring your packs and find out.

A trial at our laboratory in Castellón, with your product, no strings attached.