Meeting standards for secure coded labeling system
Another clever labeling application relates to the arcane world of tracking and tracing pharmaceutical, veterinary and biological products. Prisym Medica, a UK developer of marking and coding software and hardware for labeling and packaging, has supplied a customized package to Merial, a French animal health company. The coding software, along with 2D Datamatrix code modules, will drive up to 40 variable data printers in Merial’s Lyon plant and 20 printers in Toulouse for inline printing of regulatory data on labels and cartons.
Merial’s custom made modules comply with the global standard on 2D Datamatrix codes. In practice, it takes important data such as the Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN), expiry date, batch number, and quantity and incorporates them into the two-dimensional code. This type of code has gained widespread acceptance because it can carry more information than conventional bar codes and allows more precise traceability throughout the supply chain.
“It was the only secure system we found that complies with pharmaceutical regulations worldwide, in particular FDA 21 CFR part 11 rules and the policies of the International Federation for Animal Health (IFAH) regarding the use of two-dimensional codes,” said Jean-Claude Muller, director of global supply chain support at Merial. He is also chairman of the “global traceability core team” of the IFAH.
Priysm Ltd. was formerly known as MAP80 and is based in Wokingham, Berkshire. It also has a US office in Charlotte, NC.