Today let’s discuss about the CAN CODE.

If a can has no label, can you tell what inside?

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The requirement of canned code.

Can code, printed as letters on cans, is the way that the can factory record the info of their products. we implementnationalstandard is QB2683-2005

1) For canned food smaller then 5kg, the code should be printed at the center of the bottom. For the ones larger then 5kg, stick the label.

2) 2 or 3 paralleled line record the factory code , lot NO., year month and date code, and product NO.

3)3) There is no need to print product code IF IT IS LITHO CAN

4) The can code for glass bottles is printed on the center of the lid, or one side of the bottle. No need for the product code.

In conclusion, if you can tell what product it is upon the appearance of the can, for example the LITHO CAN and bottle can, there is no need for the product code. However, the production date and the factory code is a must. All the above regulation only applies with the canned food made in China. For the canned food for exporting, there might have slice difference. I shall clarify in the later passages.

1)FACTORY CODE

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Created in 1960s, the factory code is the code marking the factory for export. China Canned Food Industry Association (CCFIA)started to manage the codes from 2002. Now the certificates of canned code are all issued by CCFIA. The rule for code is letters + numbers, in which letters mean province. The details as follow table:

AREA CODE AREA CODE AREA CODE
北京BEIJING A 陕西SHANXI J 四川SICHUANG T(1-59)
上海SHANGHAI B 江苏JIANGSU K 重庆CHONGQING T(60-100)
辽宁LIAOLING C 浙江ZHEJIANG L 云南YUNNAN U
吉林JILING D 安徽ANHUI M 贵州GUIZHOU V
黑龙江HEILONGJIANG E 江西JIANGXI N 湖北HUBEI W
内蒙古LEIMENGGU F(1-49) 山西SHANGXI O 甘肃GANSU X(1-49)
宁夏LINGXIA F(50-100) 湖南HULAN P 青海QINGHAI X(50-100)
河北HEBEI G(1-59) 福建FUJIAN Q 新疆XINGJIANG Y(50-100)
天津TIANJING G(60-100)) 广东GUANGDONG R(1-69) 西藏XIZHANG Y
山东SHANGDONG H 海南HAINAN R(70-100) 台湾TAIWAN Z
河南HELAN I 广西GUANGXI S

Website for CCFIA is http://www.topcanchina.com/gongchangdaihao/13667

2)PRODUCE CODE

Sorted by the food species, they are divided into 10 kinds. Here I made a searching column by which you could check the details of the canned food. Here is the simple sorting:

The code for canned pork (Sheet A.1);

The code for canned beef, mutton or other livestocks (Sheet A.2)

The code for canned poultry (Sheet A.3);

The code for canned fish in oil or eggplant sauce (Sheet A.4);

The code for canned seasoned fish (Sheet A.5);

The code for canned crustaceans (Sheet A.6);

The code for canned fruit in syrup (Sheet A.7);

The code for canned fruit jam or juice (Sheet A.8);

The code for canned vegetables (Sheet A.9);

The code for other canned food (Sheet A.10)

happens that the above list does not include all the species of the canned food. If one canned food does not belong to the above list, the factory can apply to the local CCIQ for the special code. Then the new code might not apply the old rules. For example: Canned Black Eye Bean, it should belong to canned vegetable started with 8XX, but not in the old list. The new code for Canned Black Eye starts with HY which is the abbreviated letters of Mandarin Hei Yan.

3)Sanitary Registered Number

Sanitary Registered Number
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Here is the point! The canned food for export do not print the factory code for the reason that in 1980s there were too many faked factory numbers. The rule for export is to print the Sanitary Registered Number(SR NO) instead of factory number.

THIS SR NUMBER CAN BE SEARCHED ON CNCA(CERTIFICTION AND ACCREDITATION ADMINISTRATION OF THE PEOPLE'S REUBILC OF CHINA).HERE IS LINK

Let’s take an example

Photo 1 HAVE FACTORY CODE , NO SR NO

shows the Canned yellow peach .K2 MEANS FACTORY CODE (IT IS JIANGSU'S FACTORY).613 IS porouct code,means it is canned peach

Photo 2 A label , HAVE FACTORY CODE, AND SR NO.

is tomato paste with drum,over 5kgs, so ,use one label instead the canned code, Y76 it means it is XINGJIANG'S FACTORY

Photo 3 NO FACTORY NO, NO SR NO .

is glass bottle can, there is already factory name printed on the label therefore no need for can code, only date is printed

Photo 4 NO FACTORY CODE, HAVE SR NO

Canned green peas, for export,so use the SR NO instead the factory NO.801means it is green peas.

Photo 5 SPECIAL CODE

Canned Black Eye Bean, it should belong to canned vegetable started with 8XX, but not in the old list. The new code for Canned Black Eye starts with HY which is the abbreviated letters of Mandarin Hei Yan.

Photo 6 SPECIAL CODE

Canned red kidney benas in syrup, also not in the old list. The new code is THYDPBJ

P1.sale in domestic market

P2.over 5kg's canned

P3.glass packing

P4.export sales

P5.HY means black eye

P6.red kidney beans in syrup