GTIN
Colloquially, many know GTIN as a barcode, but technically, GTIN is the number found beneath the barcode symbol itself, and can therefore also be used for other technologies such as 2D barcodes and RFID tags.
Colloquially, many know GTIN as a barcode, but technically, GTIN is the number found beneath the barcode symbol itself, and can therefore also be used for other technologies such as 2D barcodes and RFID tags.
The clock had just struck nine when the first person stepped onto the stage in front of the large screen at the IDA conference facilities at Kalvebod Brygge to welcome the more than 140 participants who had chosen to attend to hear about and discuss how—and if—smart barcodes can help reduce the enormous amount of food waste found in Danish homes, as well as in the grocery retail sector.
The man who gave the welcome was Martin Ankerstjerne, the day's moderator. After a brief presentation of the day's program, the first guest took the stage: advisor and digital transformation expert Astrid Haug, who provided an introduction to how technology can help create and support not only a sustainable society in the future, but also help reduce our food waste.
"It’s going to be a whirlwind tour," she began, referring to the 10 minutes she had been allotted to kick things off.
To applause from the room, the speakers then took the stage one by one to share their messages on how to reduce food waste. Among them, Judith Kyst from Madkulturen explained that Danish eating habits haven't changed much in many years and that food waste remains massive. Mads Werge from the consultancy firm Norion explained that we throw away approximately 700,000 tons of food in Denmark every year, while Terje Menkerud from GS1’s Norwegian sister organization shared some of the findings that, among others, Meny in Norway had discovered by using 2D barcodes on food products in their stores.
"I would be really surprised if it doesn't happen next year," Terje said, referring to when the entire Norwegian grocery industry would jump on board and start using smart barcodes in stores.
During the break, the many participants moved into the adjacent room, where the presence of so many engaged people was palpable as they enjoyed a sandwich and a cup of coffee or sparkling water, chatting away about sustainability, food waste, and the impact of smart barcodes.
While lunch was being eaten and the conversation continued, preparations were made in the main hall for a two-hour panel debate. Moderated by none other than journalist and TV host Clement Kjærsgaard, the session brought together stakeholders, political organizations, and interested parties for a debate that ranged from why food waste remains a problem to how we move forward with implementing smart barcodes to lower our food waste.
"We are at a pivotal point," said Signe Didde Frese, CSR Director at Coop, during the debate, after being asked if we would simply return to throwing away food once the war in Ukraine is hopefully over and inflation has subsided.
"But there is fantastic momentum right now. In terms of getting some of these partnerships started. In terms of creating some of the value chains that are circular. I think that is something we really need to leverage as an industry."
After plenty of laughter, engaged debate, and a video from Per Thau, Group Director at Coop, expressing Coop's strong desire to collaborate on implementing smart barcodes in the grocery sector, the day was wrapped up by Mads Kibsgaard from GS1 and Mads Werge from Norion, who took the stage to explain how to move forward with the work of implementing 2D barcodes in grocery retail. The final words, however, came from GS1’s newly appointed CEO, Per Ahlmann Andersen, who provided a comprehensive summary of the day's key points and spoke about how 2D barcodes are now and will continue to be the key to making the circular economy a success.
Once the host had wrapped up for the day, it was time to head back to the adjacent room, where guests could enjoy a glass of cider, a beer, or pack up any remaining lunch sandwiches in a doggy bag. There was certainly to be no food waste on this day.
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GTIN (also known as EAN) stands for “Global Trade Item Number” and is the number sequence shown beneath a barcode symbol.
GTIN (EAN) is a global standard used to uniquely identify digital and physical products, allowing the barcode to be scanned anywhere in the world throughout the supply chain.
A GLN (also known as EAN) allows you to uniquely identify physical, functional, legal, or digital entities. This can include the sender, receiver, buyer, seller, supplier, manufacturer, delivery location, billing location, store, or internal departments.
