- What is the Produce Electronic Identification Board (PEIB)?
The Produce Electronic Identification Board (PEIB) is an industry-wide organization focused on improving the electronic collection and communication of sales data for fresh fruits and vegetables. The board is comprised of representatives from all areas of the produce industry and its activities are administered by Produce Marketing Association staff.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- What is the difference between a PLU code and a UPC code?
The PLU code is a 4- or 5-digit number that is primarily used on fresh produce items and will typically appear on a small sticker that is applied to the individual piece of fresh produce. The UPC code is a 12-digit number which uses a generic company prefix (033383) along with an item number assigned by the PEIB to serve as a UPC number for packaged produce items. This number is used by companies that do not have their own company prefix assigned by GS1 US.
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- How do I apply for a new UPC?
Applications for new numbers should be made directly to the PEIB. Please note that applications take a maximum of 6 weeks to process. Refer to the criteria and application on PMA’s website by selecting the following link, UPC application.
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- How do I obtain a UPC number that identifies my company?
Refer to GS1US to obtain a manufacturer identification number or GS1 company prefix. With this number, your company can assign UPCs for its products.
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- What’s the difference between using a generic UPC (PEIB prefix 0 33383) and a manufacturer specific UPC?
Generic codes:
a. Do not identify the manufacturer 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 manufacturer number for your company, you must purchase it from GS1US.
b. Company specific codes can identify the manufacturer and item.
c. The list of item numbers and descriptions are maintained by the company only.
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- How do I code organically grown produce with a UPC?
Where organic codes exist, they are included in the database.
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- Do you have a UPC for a mixed bag of salad or coin cut carrots?
The PEIB does not assign generic UPC to processed, mixed, or cut produce. However, when the system was first created in the late 1980s, a few codes were assigned to cut items.
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- What do the different parts of a generic UPC mean?
Following is an example of a generic UPC:
** Note: The check digit is calculated according to an algorithm and should be supplied either by your printer or bar code generating software.
- The first part of the UPC (0 33383) identifies the manufacturer/vendor (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.
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- Is there another way to obtain the check digit for a UPC?
The check digit can also be calculated on the GS1US's Web site.
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- Can you tell me what "0 65422 11111 0" is assigned to?
PMA only maintains the item numbers and descriptions assigned with the PEIB prefix, ‘033383’. To find out the owner of a specific manufacturer number, contact GS1US. Unfortunately, GS1US cannot determine what product is assigned to an item number.
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- How many UPCs has the PEIB assigned?
The PEIB has assigned more than 14,000 generic UPCs. Over 4,500 of those are for retailer assignment.
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- How do I find a company to make my UPC label?
Contact PMA’s Information Resource Center to obtain a listing of PMA members that manufacturer labels or go to the GS1US web site and reference the Certified Solution Partner Directory to find a list of label manufacturers.
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- What states are included in the East designation for apples?
The PEIB has consolidated some of the geographical groupings used in the assignment of fixed weight UPC numbers for apples. This is being done to simplify the system and reduce the cost of adding numbers for more varieties, package sizes, and grades.
The PEIB consolidated the following geographical designations:
Michigan
Other Central (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin)
New York
Pennsylvania
Virginia
Other East (Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia)
- Product from any of the areas noted above should be labeled using East numbers.
- During the transitional period (1997-1999) the industry could use the state specific codes, Other Central, or Other East categories.
- As of January 1, 2000, all new packaging orders should only use the East category.
- Old inventory should have been depleted by January 1, 2000. Codes assigned to the regions listed above may have been reassigned as of January 1, 2000.
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- 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.'
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