Bel is the third-largest branded
cheese producer in the world, with
a leading position in 25 countries
and ranked among the top three
out of 45. Four of its brands are
among the world’s 20 largest
sellers. In 2015, it sold close to
18 billion cheese portions across
130 different countries, to some
400 million cheese-eaters. The
brands that make up its core
business — La vache qui rit (called
‘The Laughing Cow’ in English),
Mini Babybel, Boursin, Kiri and
Leerdammer — form an integral
part of France’s economic and
advertising landscape. It has 30
production sites throughout France
as well as in other parts of the
world including Poland, Portugal,
Slovakia, Turkey and Morocco.
Why move to GS1-128?
In order to address the pressure
of the mass distribution sector,
which is seeking to optimise
the processing of product boxes
through its logistics platforms and
automatic sorting systems, Bel
CARE STUDIES
decided to completely overhaul
its packaging box printing and
labelling policy. “We needed to
change our labelling system in
Europe to include the new GS1-128
barcode symbols, which are more
complex and complete in terms
of information provided,” project
manager Denis Grosjean says.
How did Bel implement
the move?
Fifty-five of the ‘print and apply’
systems selected were rolled out
at the Lons-le-Saunier, Dole and
Sablé-sur-Sarthe sites in France,
as well as at plants in Spain and
Poland. Each label applied carries
the following information: type
of product in the local language,
temperature logo, product code,
batch code, traceability number,
best-before date and production
code in Latin or Arabic script. In
other words, the label includes
everything Bel needs to support
both its international and local
growth, Grosjean says.
Several decisions are
necessary before you
commit to GS1-128
barcode. These are:
• Understand the
requirements of, and
options related to, the
GS1-128 barcode;
• Select an appropriate
packaging material
and printing solution;
• Ensure the chosen
printing equipment
is bolstered with
GS1-128 compliant
software to minimise
human error and
maximise scope for
efficient traceability;
• Leverage the
experience of
suppliers well-versed
in delivering fully
integrated GS1-128
solutions to make any
transition relatively
hassle-free and
more cost efficient.
Forward-thinking
manufacturers would
be wise to begin
considering how to
adapt their operations
now before they get
caught off guard when
recommendations
from some retailers
and foodservice
companies for GS1-
128 barcodes become
requirements from
everyone.
and accurately has also become
more important. GS1 symbology has
evolved to cope with this increased
need for more detailed supply chain
information. Numerous codes exist to
capture specific types of information
at varying levels of detail as best suits
the need of the intended code users
and applications.
GS1-128 identification encodes
much more information, such as
lot numbers and expiry dates,
into barcodes than other options,
improving supply chain traceability
and efficiency. As such, it is
becoming more attractive for
retailers, wholesalers and foodservice
operators keen to respond swiftly to
product safety issues and improve
profitability through increased pallet
splitting and automation.
GS1-128 barcodes have been around
since 1989. Their popularity now,
however, is due to increased pressure
and expectations from government
and consumer groups regarding
traceability and speed of response
when something goes wrong. With
the internet, issues go viral quickly
and companies need to respond
faster than ever before.
Also, whether it be to optimise
inventory levels or better match
supply to demand, the technology
available today means that retailers
and foodservice companies are
better positioned than in years gone
by to extract value from the extra
information available through GS1-128
barcodes.
BEL GROUP
TYSON FOODS
Tyson is one of the world’s largest
producers of meat and poultry
products sold to retailers and
foodservice operators in the US and
130 countries globally.
Why move to GS1-128?
The initial move to GS1-128 was
sparked when a customer buying
variable weight products asked
Tyson to mark these with GTINs
encoded in GS1-128 barcodes,
as it would enable the customer
to much more efficiently confirm
receipt of Tyson goods.
Benefits experienced?
After using GS1-128 coding,
Tyson reported seeing benefits
internally. Tyson meat and poultry
pricing is usually weight-driven,
so the company uses the GS1-
128 barcoding to encode product
weight in its case-level barcodes.
This has greatly reduced the
number of customer questions and
disputes over invoices.
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