Chile Forum

Two brands of canned "Jurel al Natural" are available in the village shop as of today, and both of them appear to be Chinese. There is one subtle moment, however, that has to be noted by those who still read this [respectable] forum.

The first one, that goes for 730 peso can, is clearly labeled Chinese, and is: "LA BONITA". Yet the second one ("LENGA"), at 930 peso/can, when comparing two cans of it -- all that is said on the label is [almost] identical, but the very last line. That line says: "FABRICACION CHILENA" on one of them, yet it reads: "PRODUCTO DE CHINA" on another can, of the very same name/brand/price.

I have doubts now that even those Jurel products marked "Chilean" are genuine at the present moment.

Thus, be advised.

el g

Yep, lots of fishy stuff going on with jurel these days Mr. Small Cat.

I believe I saw a Lenga "Fabricacion Chilena" can yesterday but that label had the additional text that it was processed according to Chilean standards and in the smaller print that it was from China.

I believe only "Producto Chileno" qualifies as real Chilean caught and processed jurel and the premium in price reflects it (San Jose).

Very well, today they have the very same "San Jose", and so 940 pesos I paid, and it is said, "PRODUCTO DE CHILE" under the bar-code.

Why, then, the bar-code for it starts with "7 80.... ......"? And the "LA BONITA" has the bar-code starting with the same "7 80"? Why don't the Chinese packaged ones, marked "PRODUCTO DE CHINA" have different code than Chilean?

If anyone would clarify, please.

el gatito wrote:Very well, today they have the very same "San Jose", and so 940 pesos I paid, and it is said, "PRODUCTO DE CHILE" under the bar-code.

Why, then, the bar-code for it starts with "7 80.... ......"? And the "LA BONITA" has the bar-code starting with the same "7 80"? Why don't the Chinese packaged ones, marked "PRODUCTO DE CHINA" have different code than Chilean?

If anyone would clarify, please.

If the bar code is only identifying the product and not the source (and many products in retail are sourced from multiple locations) then there is no reason for multiple product bar codes. Note that there may be other codes elsewhere on the can/tin that identify source, lot, sell-by date, etc.

Coincidentally, a few months ago I wrote (translated) a Spanish-language manual on how to operate an OCR tin-label reader that could be used for fishery products.

el gatito wrote:Why, then, the bar-code for it starts with "7 80.... ......"? And the "LA BONITA" has the bar-code starting with the same "7 80"? Why don't the Chinese packaged ones, marked "PRODUCTO DE CHINA" have different code than Chilean?

The fact that you extracted the first three digits of the product identification code (PIC) to use in your question implied that you already knew very well of the structure of this code, where the first 2-3 digits represent the country code.

Code 780 is Chile. This does not mean the origin of the product. It only means that the authority that issued the manufacturer code (the next 5 digits in this 13-digit PIC) is Chile.

TP

T_ROBO wrote:The fact that you extracted the first three digits of the product identification code (PIC) to use in your question implied that you already knew very well of the structure of this code, where the first 2-3 digits represent the country code... Code 780 is Chile...

Sorry, yes.. I am guilty of such kind of knowing.

T_ROBO wrote:Code 780 is Chile. This does not mean the origin of the product. It only means that the authority that issued the manufacturer code (the next 5 digits in this 13-digit PIC) is Chile.

TP

Thank you.

May all beings embody the great way.

What should be even more important is the MERCURY threat.

Given the recent revelations of mercury in Chilean albacore ... ... ...

I don't even want to think about Chinese processing on top of Chilean mackerel (jurel).

Still, I highly recommend cans of the CHILEAN processed stuff in your emergency cabinet.

7 801235 131117 - for San Jose.

The "Manufacturer Code" is 12351, right?

So, there is no way to verify it, by the 5-digit "Manufacturer Code", that the country of origin is Chile or China (on the internet)?

7 804626 880281 - for La Bonita (it says neither "Chile" nor "China", but only "elaborado por pesquera Bio Bio")

el gatito wrote:7 801235 131117 - for San Jose.

The "Manufacturer Code" is 12351, right?

So, there is no way to verify it, by the 5-digit "Manufacturer Code", that the country of origin is Chile or China (on the internet)?

Normally there exists a database maintaining information related to all product information codes of a country. The information of a code includes manufacturer name, its registered address, the product name, and its description.

The name and registered address of a manufacturer might not be enough to determine if a manufacturer is Chinese or Chilean. It is likely that a Chinese manufacturer used the address of its local lawyer in Santiago to register in the database of Chilean product information codes.

TP

Some of this produce will not have been canned in a country, but on a vessel at sea, the vessel's flag represents the country of elaboration, some of the Made In China product may have never been near China.

On the mercury question, mercury accumulates at the top of the food chain, so long lived fish like sword fish (Albacore in Chile, which is a small tuna everywhere else) have high levels, blue fin tuna have almost poisonous levels from some areas. Short lived fish, salmon, mackerel (jurel), anchovies and such have very low or nonexistent levels of mercury.

Do you mean that all of the produce (I mean, Jurel) is caught, and none of it is farmed (in China, supposedly)?