Pack Expo 2026: EU and Canada move faster than US on GS1 Sunrise 2027

The GS1 Sunrise 2027 transition from traditional 1D codes to new 2D codes, like QR and GS1 DataMatrix, is set to come into global fruition next year. However, according to packaging industry experts at Pack Expo International 2026 in Chicago, US, the changeover is taking place faster in the EU and Canada than in the US, where industry interest remains low. 

According to GS1, the transition can bring about supply chain improvements such as traceability for product protection and corporate responsibility at end of life, and provide brands with new consumer engagement opportunities. 

On the show floor, Packaging Insights speaks to Leibinger Group and Markem-Imaje, which are supporting brands on their GS1 Sunrise 2027 journey, about the ongoing adoption hurdles and the transition progress across geographies. 

“The 1D code can only store 11 or 13 digits of data, which is not a lot. It can only tell us the type of product and its producer. There is no notion of when it was produced, by who, or in what conditions. It’s super basic,” Christophe Lopez, chief commercial officer at Leibinger Group, tells us. 

“Meanwhile, 2D codes can store thousands of characters. They can communicate different types of information, such as lot numbers, best by date, a link to the producer website for customers, and even promotions,” he explains. 

Lopez says that GS1 Sunrise 2027 is a global initiative, adding that “it’s probably going to begin applying at different speeds in different regions.” 

“For the US, it’s going to be the end of 2027. In Europe, adoption will be a little faster, starting at the beginning of 2027. Overall, this is something that will happen very fast around the world.” 

“The US is taking a lot longer than Europe to adapt,” David Habib, senior solution consultant at Markem-Imaje, tells us. 

Regulatory realities 

GS1 Sunrise 2027 is not the only initiative calling for a move to 2D barcodes, Leibinger’s Lopez points out. 

“There is also the product passport idea, which is currently mostly in Europe. Its goal is to track products throughout their lifecycle.” 

Habib argues that regulations like the EU’s Digital Product Passport will help facilitate the global transition to 2D barcodes. “But for now, here in the US, this would only affect entities shipping to Europe,” he acknowledges. 

“Canada will be going to the digital passports a bit after Europe,” Habib continues. “This will also have an effect by forcing US manufacturers shipping into Canada to adapt faster.” 

In the US, Lopez highlights The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Section 204(d) by the Food and Drug Administration’s Food Traceability Final Rule, as having the potential to create momentum for the 2D code transition. 

Habib shares that the 2D codes are going to facilitate compliance with the proposed Act, which mandates a 24-hour recall for relevant food products. “However, the FSMA has now gotten pushed back from 2025 to 2028,” he points out. 

“And companies won’t do a lot unless they’re pushed to do so by regulations or if other companies within their supply chain force them through penalties.” 

Benefits and hurdles 

Further elaborating on the potential benefits of the transition to 2D codes, Lopez details how they can also enable better stock management in supermarkets. In particular, they can determine the most optimal time for a new stock order to prevent food waste and increase profits, he adds. 

At the same time, he points out that supermarkets need to be ready to deploy the GS1 Sunrise standards. “This means that cash registers need to be updated, as most of the ones we have right now can only read 1D barcodes. The information systems also need to be updated to process data from 2D codes correctly. All of this takes time.” 

“While supermarkets can benefit greatly, brands owners are a different story,” according to Lopez. “They are mostly motivated by the consumer engagement prospect. As consumers, we are increasingly paranoid about the health aspects of food products and how they’re produced. So, consumers are asking for reassortment and traceability.” 

Habib says that there are companies that are “early adopters.” 

“They have not quite reached serialization yet, but they’re at least putting up the barcodes with the GS1 Sunrise standards, which is very nice. They are mostly larger companies, while others are experimenting with pilot lines, adopting 2D codes only for part of their plants rather than entire facilities.” 

He says companies are choosing to experiment with pilot plants from an expense standpoint, adding that “a lot of them got burned out from the RFID Coalition launched in 2022.” The RFID Coalition is also a GS1-led industry initiative. It aims to promote RFID adoption and interoperability. 

“Now, companies don’t want to invest heavily in such initiatives unless they are forced by governments.” 

Markem-Imaje offers its CoLOS software for GS1 Sunrise data management. 

“We pull data wherever it resides. and we send it to our printers. All of our printers are capable of printing the GS1 Sunrise barcodes, symbology, and data carriers that a brand would want to have,” shares Habib. 

“Colos7 can scan the barcode right after verifying that the code is readable and the data is accurate. Associated logging is also possible, and so is sending data back to systems, whether these are Markem-image or third-party systems. People can use this data along the supply chain.” 

At Pack Expo 2026, Leibinger introduced its 2DJet product concept to the Americas for the first time. According to the German company, it is a new coding technology developed for industrial 2D applications, combining high-resolution printing of up to 300 dpi with production speeds of up to 120 m/min.