Decoding Cigarette Pack Information from DotCode and OCR
In the highly regulated and complex tobacco industry, the ability to accurately track and trace individual cigarette packs is paramount. While traditional methods often relied on human-readable alphanumeric codes, the rise of high-density DotCode barcodes presents a significant opportunity to encode more data in smaller cigarette packs. In this blog we are going to explore how leveraging the combination of DotCode scanning and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) provides a robust solution for unlocking the full potential of information embedded in cigarette packs.
From Cartons to Packs: DotCode Powers Unit-Level Tracking
The evolution of cigarette product identification has been significantly propelled by regulatory mandates, most notably the European Union Tobacco Products Directive (EU TPD). A key requirement of this directive was that every individual unit packet of cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco sold within the EU must bear a unique identifier (UID). This mandate served as a primary catalyst for the widespread adoption of DotCode on cigarette packaging. Prior to EU TPD, barcode usage in the cigarette supply chain was primarily focused on aggregated units:
- Cartons, Master Cases, and Pallets – Logistics labels affixed to these larger units commonly used GS1-128 (formerly UCC/EAN-128) barcodes. These barcodes encoded essential information for supply chain management, including the GTIN, batch or lot number, expiration dates, and Serial Shipping Container Codes (SSCC). However, these barcodes were generally not present on individual packs.
- Cigarette packs (Unit level) – Identification at the individual pack level was less standardized. Typically, packs featured human readable codes such as lot codes, line numbers, and time stamps. While some manufacturers occasionally employed small linear barcodes like Code 128 for internal tracking purposes, their use was inconsistent across different manufacturers, and it was not designed to meet the requirements for comprehensive, globally standardized traceability or anti-illicit trade measures.
This transition from primarily carton-level tracking with OCR to unit-level tracking empowered by DotCode represents a significant advancement in supply chain visibility, anti-counterfeiting efforts, and adherence to stringent regulatory requirements within the tobacco sector.
Why Choose Dynamsoft for DotCode & OCR Integration?
When it comes to integrating DotCode scanning or OCR for your cigarette pack tracking needs, Dynamsoft offers Barcode Reader & Label Recognizer SDKs. Dynamsoft SDKs are known for their speed, versatility, reliability and customizability. Let’s look at these SDKs.
Dynamsoft Barcode Reader
Dynamsoft Barcode Reader (DBR) is a software development kit that enables users to efficiently and accurately read barcodes from different sources such as camera stream, static images, or PDF documents, thus making it an ideal choice for scanning cigarette packs on a moving conveyer belt or in a stock in an inventory.
Key features & capabilities
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High Accuracy & Reliability – DBR employs advanced algorithms to ensure reliable DotCode decoding, even with challenging barcodes that are blurry, distorted, damaged, or in low-light conditions. Our benchmark tests demonstrated DBR’s superior performance compared to other barcode readers. You can review these test results
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Speed & Performance – Dynamsoft Barcode Reader offers industry leading speed of scanning 500+ barcodes per minute. In a high-throughput environment like cigarette manufacturing and packaging line, high-scanning speed of DBR ensures minimal impact on production speed.
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