UPC codes are bar codes used on consumer-packaged items sold at retail. UPC codes have been introduced to supermarkets to facilitate the check-out process at cashier level and control of the inventory. UPC codes are use to identify product sold with a fixed weight/count and typically prepackaged.

Typically, the numbers which comprise the UPC codes are assigned by companies and include their own company-specific prefix which is assigned by standard organizations at a national level. In 2005 the standards organizations changed to GS1 at a global level and all national organizations have adapted this name. In Canada, our standards organization is GS1 Canada.

For the purposes of the produce sector in Canada and the U.S., standardized UPCs are assigned with no company specific reference. The company reference portion of these generic UPCs is the generic prefix 033383 assigned to the produce sector. The standardized item reference number follows this generic prefix and is followed by a check digit assigned during the printing process.

UPC codes are assigned after application review by industry experts and number assignment by the PEIB or CPMA in Canada. In addition, blocks of these industry UPCs are reserved for individual use by retailers. Retailer-assigned numbers facilitate the introduction of new products/packaging size without the assignment of a permanent industry standardized UPC.

Existing industry standardized UPC codes are available at www.pma.com/upconline. Access to this database is limited to people with a yearly subscription. Access costs are $100 US for CPMA or PMA members and $200 US for non-members. There are currently over 11,270 records in the UPC database for produce, sorted by Commodity, Variety/Type, Growing Region, Grade, Product size and Package Size.

Apply for new UPC codes

UPC Frequently Asked Questions

Emerging Product Identification Data Carriers (GS1 DataBar & RFID)

Product identification as outlined above is currently captured in a bar code, as with the UPCs, or in a human readable four or five-digit number as in the PLUs. In the case of UPCs, the industry specific numbers, which is the data, are carried in a bar code which is known as the data carrier. Emerging data carriers include the GS1 DataBar , a kind of "baby" bar code, and the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), a tiny chip/antenna which holds the data.