Tobacco Products: Marking Code, What It Contains and How It Looks

Composition of information included in the marking code, procedure for formation and application of digital identification means for tobacco products is regulated by the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated 31.12.2020 № 833.

Consumer packaging of tobacco products

For consumer packaging of tobacco products, the marking code contains 3 groups of data, of which the first and second groups form the identification code of the consumer packaging of tobacco products, and the third group forms the verification code:

• The first group of data consists of 14 digits and contains the product barcode (determined by the operator based on the information registered in the catalog of marked goods);
• The second group of data consists of 7 characters (digits, lowercase and uppercase Latin letters, as well as special characters) and contains the individual serial number of the consumer packaging;
• The third group consists of 8 characters (digits, lowercase and uppercase Latin letters, as well as special characters) and contains the verification code, generated by the marking system.

Example of a marking code for consumer packaging of tobacco products:

In printed text, this code looks as follows: 04780101164394TF&csaNNW1kK0tL, where:

• 04780101164394 – product barcode (or GTIN) of 14 characters;
• TF&csaN – serial number of the packaging of 7 characters;
• NW1kK0tL – verification code of 8 characters.

The code is applied on the packaging as a two-dimensional DataMatrix barcode.

Group packaging of tobacco products

For group packaging of tobacco products, the marking code contains 3 groups of data, of which the first and second groups form the identification code of the group packaging of tobacco products, and the third group forms the verification code:

• The first group of data consists of 14 digits and contains the product barcode, preceded by AI – application identifier (01);
• The second group of data consists of 7 characters (digits, lowercase and uppercase Latin letters, as well as special characters) and contains the individual serial number of the group packaging, preceded by AI – application identifier (21), followed by a separator character with code 29 in the ASCII table;
• The third group consists of 8 characters (digits, lowercase and uppercase Latin letters, as well as special characters) and contains the verification code, preceded by AI – application identifier (93) and generated by the operator.

Example of a marking code for group packaging of tobacco products:

In printed text, this code looks as follows: 011536756723002121hcmqgXO93ejVjM0xI, where:

• (01) 15367567230021 – product barcode (or GTIN) of 14 characters;
• (21) hcmqgXO – serial number of the packaging of 7 characters;
• (93) NW1kK0tL – verification code of 8 characters.

The code is applied on the packaging as a two-dimensional GS1 DataMatrix barcode.

Procedure for applying the marking code on packaging

According to the Regulation on the specifics of marking tobacco products by digital identification means (Appendix 3 to the Decree № 833):

• The digital identification means of consumer and group packaging of tobacco products is applied as a two-dimensional barcode in GS1 DataMatrix format.
• The digital identification means is applied on consumer and group packaging and/or label by a method that does not allow detachment from the packaging and/or label.
• On consumer packaging, the digital identification means is applied with a size of at least 5x5 mm on a specially designated contrasting area located on the bottom or side of the packaging.
• On group and transport packaging, the digital identification means is applied on the front or side of the packaging and must have a size that facilitates aggregation procedures.
• For consumer and group packaging, a module size of at least 0.25 mm is used, for transport packaging – at least 2 mm.
• The digital identification means applied to consumer and group packaging and/or label must not be printed on transparent wrapping film or any other external wrapping material and must not be covered by other information preventing its scanning.
• The digital identification means must be placed so that the integrity of information applied to the tobacco packaging in accordance with technical regulation documents is not violated.

Examples of marking code applied to product packaging:

Marking code on consumer packaging (pack of cigarettes)

Marking code on group packaging (block of cigarettes)