What is the Produce Electronic Identification Board (PEIB)?
Information about the PEIB is available at www.pma.com.

What is a UPC number?
UPC stands for universal product code. UPCs are used on produce that is sold by fixed weight, count, or volume (e.g.: 3 lb bag of apples, 3 count tomato, ½ pint of blueberries). A UPC contains 12 digits total (including the small digits to the extreme left and right). UPC bar codes are scanned at the front end in order to obtain the price of the item.

What is a retailer assigned code?
Retailer assigned codes allow retailers to designate their own numbers for items that do not have standard UPC numbers assigned. After a supplier makes specific arrangements with all retailers that will receive the item, a retailer assigned number may be used. Shippers must not use these numbers without the prior agreement of all retailer customers intending to receive this item.

How do I apply for a new UPC?
Refer to the UPC application on this site for detailed information.

How do I obtain a UPC number that identifies my company?
In Canada, contact GS1 Canada at 416-510-8039 or 800-567-7084 to purchase a company prefix. With this number, your company can assign UPCs for its products. In other countries, contact your national GS1 organization.

What’s the difference between using a generic UPC (PEIB prefix 0 33383) and a company specific UPC?
Generic codes:
a. Do not identify the company of an item, only the item.
b. There is no fee to use generic UPCs that have already been assigned.
c. The list of generic produce item numbers and descriptions is maintained by the PEIB.

Company specific codes:
a. In order to obtain a company prefix for your company, you must purchase it from your national GS1 organization.
b. Company specific codes can identify the company and item.
c. The list of item numbers and descriptions are maintained by the company only.

How do I code organically grown produce with a UPC?
Where organic codes exist, they are included in the database.
 
Do you have a UPC for a mixed bag of salad or coin cut carrots?
Generic UPCs are not assigned to processed, mixed, or cut produce. However, when the system was first created 12 years ago, a few codes were assigned to cut items and remain as legacy numbers.

What do the different parts of a generic UPC mean?
Following is an example of a generic UPC:

- The first part of the UPC (0 33383) identifies the company prefix (in this case generic produce/PEIB)
- The second part of the UPC (21200) identifies the item (½ pint of golden raspberries)
- The last digit of the UPC (X) is the check digit. It is calculated by your label maker and serves as a security feature.
** Note: The check digit is calculated according to an algorithm and should be supplied either by your printer or bar code generating software.

Can you tell me what "0 65422 11111 0" is assigned to?
The PEIB only maintains the item numbers and descriptions assigned with the PEIB prefix. To find out the owner of a specific company prefix, contact your national GS1 organization. Unfortunately, your national GS1 organization cannot determine what description is assigned to an item number.

How do I obtain a complete list of generic UPCs for all commodities?
To export all of the generic UPCs to an Excel document, go to the search screen. Leave all of the defaults as they appear and click 'Search.' Next, click 'Export Entire Search to Excel.'

To export all of the generic UPCs to an Adobe document, go to the downloads screen. Click 'Create/View Current List of All Items.'