# QR codes for consumer packaged goods

> On packaged goods the QR code resolves the pack-space war: mandatory declarations stay printed (EU food law does not let allergen or nutrition basics move online), while the code carries extended nutrition, sourcing, recycling and promotions. Increasingly it is a GS1 Digital Link code that also scans at the till.

Source: https://useqr.app/qr-codes-for/consumer-packaged-goods · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, no signup.

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## The pack-space war

Every square centimetre of a pack is contested between branding, regulatory text and
marketing. The QR code is the pressure valve, but only for content the law allows off
the pack. Under the EU Food Information to Consumers regulation, the mandatory
particulars (name, ingredient list, allergen emphasis, net quantity, dates, nutrition
declaration) **must appear on the label itself**. No regulator accepts "scan for
allergens". What the code legitimately absorbs is everything beyond the minimum:

| Moves behind the code | Stays printed |
|---|---|
| [Extended nutrition](/docs/ecommerce/qr-code-for-nutrition-information) and portion guidance | The nutrition declaration |
| [Full sourcing and allergen detail](/docs/ecommerce/qr-code-for-ingredients-and-allergens) | Ingredient list with allergens emphasised |
| [Recycling instructions by locality](/docs/ecommerce/qr-code-for-sustainability-and-recycling-info) | Any mandated disposal marks |
| Promotions, recipes, brand story | Name, quantity, dates |

This is the pattern the US industry formalised as SmartLabel: a standard on-pack code
resolving to a structured product page, adopted precisely because pack space ran out.

## One code, not three

The wrong answer is a promo QR here, a recycling QR there and an EAN at the bottom.
[GS1 Digital Link](/docs/ecommerce/gs1-digital-link-for-retail) exists so a single code
can serve the till, the shopper and the regulator, a URL structure carrying the GTIN,
resolvable to different destinations per context. As retail scanners complete their 2D
upgrade (see the [grocery](/qr-codes-for/grocery) side of this story), brands migrating
artwork should place one Digital Link code rather than accumulating single-purpose codes.

## Placement survives the production line

Packaging faces conditions marketing mock-ups never see: see
[QR codes on product packaging](/docs/ecommerce/qr-codes-on-product-packaging) for the
full treatment. The load-bearing rules:

- **Flat panel, not over a seam, gusset or crimp**, a fold through a code is damage no
  error correction survives.
- On [curved packs](/docs/print/qr-codes-on-cylindrical-packaging), keep the code small
  relative to the curve so it stays within a readable arc.
- Print floor **2 × 2 cm**; shelf reality favours 2.5 cm and a short URL.

## What goes wrong

- Artwork teams treating the code as a decoration and printing it at 12 mm in a corner
  that gets heat-sealed.
- Campaign URLs on packs with a two-year shelf life: the promotion dies, the pack keeps
  selling; codes must point at permanent URLs that redirect.
- A second QR added per campaign until packs carry three competing codes.

## FAQ

### Can nutrition or allergen information go only in a QR code?

No. EU and UK rules require the mandatory particulars (ingredients, allergen emphasis,
nutrition declaration, dates) printed on the pack. The QR code supplements with depth:
full sourcing, per-portion detail, and content that changes too often to print.

### What is the advantage of GS1 Digital Link over a normal QR code?

One code serves every scanner: it carries the product's GTIN in a standard URL structure,
so upgraded checkout scanners treat it like the barcode while a shopper's phone opens the
product page. It replaces the growing pile of single-purpose codes on artwork.

### Where should a QR code go on packaging?

On a flat printed panel, clear of seams, crimps and heat-seals, at 2 × 2 cm minimum. On
cylindrical packs keep it small enough to sit flat within the visible arc. Proof it on
the real substrate, not the PDF.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/url
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