Jean B. wrote:
> <RJ> wrote:
>>> "John Doe" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> canned tuna, including albacore
>>>> various packaged fruits (like Del Monte and Dole brand)
>>>>
>>>> Is there any way to find out where common foods are made?
>>>>
>>>> Any other common foods made in China that most of us might not
>>>> know about?
>>
>> I had a list of bar-codes. ( and now I can't find it )
>>
>> If I remember correctly, the first 3 > 4 digits of the scan code
>> reflected "Country of Origin"
>>
>> A GOOGLE search might help....
>>
>>
> Not for produce. Assuming this is uniform among stores and throughout
> the country, the first digit refers to whether the product is organic or
> not. "9" means it is organic. Usually it is a "4", which means it was
> grown in the conventional fashion. I need to investigate whether
> transitional produce has another number.
>
Store-specific. In UPC 4xxx is "reserved for local use
(store/warehouse), often for loyalty cards or store coupons" and 9xxx is
"Coupons" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Product_Code). Some
stores might (ab)use coupon codes for organic.
In EAN, 9xxx has a few countries (Australia, Austria), book codes (977
to 979), and coupon codes (981/982/99x). 4xx can be a few countries:
Germany, Russia, other parts of the former USSR, Hong Kong.

-j