An opinion piece published by Modern Ghana calls on Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to adopt mobile-scannable barcodes as a tool against the proliferation of counterfeit sachet and bottled water. The article argues that tamper-proof product codes, readable by any smartphone, would allow consumers to verify authenticity instantly, potentially eliminating the market for fake water products that pose serious health risks.
Anthony Blears, Director of Barcodes Philippines, said that while 2D barcodes like QR codes offer a powerful anti-counterfeiting tool, their widespread adoption requires investment in manufacturing line equipment and retail point-of-sale systems. He noted that Barcodes Philippines provides GTINs and a free IBN Link service to help customers generate GS1 Digital Link landing pages from their barcodes, supporting traceability and consumer verification.
The proposal draws on global best practices where regulators and manufacturers use 2D barcodes, such as QR codes or GS1 DataMatrix, to link each product unit to a secure database. In the water sector, consistent with general retail standards, shifting from traditional 1D barcodes to 2D codes enables unit-level serialization that can be authenticated at the point of sale or consumption without special equipment.
The FDA has not yet issued a public response to the suggestion. However, the article emphasizes that implementation would require collaboration with water producers, barcode issuers, and technology providers to ensure codes are non-replicable and the verification system remains accessible to the public. The move would also support broader efforts to formalize Ghana’s packaged water industry and reduce the public health burden from adulterated products.