Handheld Barcode Printers Improving Fruit and Vegetable Traceability

In the past, farmers selling fruits and vegetables would often take their produce directly to local markets. This method, however, often led to perishable produce spoiling, which in turn decreased the farmers’ income. Today, the landscape has significantly changed. Most fruit and vegetable growers have adapted to the demands of the modern market by partnering with large supermarket chains and distribution networks. Through sorting centers, harvested fruits and vegetables are selected, sorted, packaged, barcoded, and sent to wholesalers and large supermarkets. This allows farmers to sell their ripe produce in a timely and efficient manner.

So, what exactly are fruit and vegetable barcodes? How are they printed? Let’s delve deeper.

In the modern system, the journey of produce from the farm to supermarket shelves involves several key steps. During the harvest season, farmers transport their fruits and vegetables to local sorting centers. Here, dedicated staff members conduct strict inspections and grading. They package the selected produce that meets the standards for size, color, and shape, and affix barcode labels. These barcodes serve as the product’s ID, offering traceability and assurance for consumers.

The creation of these barcodes requires a specific tool - a barcode printer. Given the bustling environment of the warehouse and the need for mobility, a handheld barcode printer is an ideal solution. It can effectively avoid the issues brought by wired connections, facilitating on-demand mobile printing.

One such device is the HPRT HM-T3 PRO handheld barcode printer. This device comes standard with a USB data cable and Bluetooth wireless connection, making it a versatile tool for any sorting center. If your sorting center is large, or if you have high demands for data transmission speed, you can opt for the Wi-Fi-enabled HM-T3 PRO.

The barcode labels on fruit and vegetable packaging typically contain vital product information, such as the production date, manufacturer information, and product barcode. Staff members need to print these barcodes as quickly as possible and affix them to the packaging. This is especially true for perishable produce like dragon fruit, lychee, and choy sum, which need to be packaged and shipped promptly.

The HPRT HM-T3 PRO handheld barcode label printer achieves fast printing at 80mm/s and uses direct thermal technology, requiring only thermal paper. This makes consumable replacement simple and convenient. It also comes with a 7.4V/1800mAh high-performance lithium battery, offering strong endurance. Power banks and car chargers can be used for charging, making it extremely convenient.

Furthermore, this mobile barcode printer can print up to a maximum width of 72mm, supporting paper rolls of 55-80mm in width. This makes it capable of easily handling even labels rich in content. For users with smaller printing needs, an optional baffle is available for smaller paper rolls, supporting printing materials of 37-63mm in width.

The HM-T3 PRO portable barcode label printer boasts 32MB of dynamic memory and 256MB of flash memory configuration, offering stable and smooth data processing capabilities. It also supports vector font printing, ensuring accuracy and clarity, and making it easy for scanners to recognize.

In our modern world, the public is paying more and more attention to food safety. Pollution-free products are particularly popular. Some producers use QR codes as electronic IDs and traceability labels for their vegetables. After scanning the QR code with a smartphone, users can view the vegetable’s identity information, including product name, planting date, harvest date, packaging date, testing time, etc.

Compared to one-dimensional barcodes, QR codes are more complex, containing both horizontal and vertical data. This means that the printing process for QR codes requires higher precision and more complex printing technology. The HM-T3 PRO handheld barcode printer, with its high-performance ARMCortex-M7 processor and high-precision print head, can print clear one-dimensional and two-dimensional barcodes, effectively avoiding system lag and loss of barcode details. This thermal printer also features a 1.3-inch OLED display, offering intuitive menu settings. Users can check the printer status and battery level at any time.

The above case vividly reflects the current use of barcode printing technology to optimize the sales and operation model of agricultural products, effectively enhancing food safety for consumers. By using portable barcode printers like the HPRT HM-T3 PRO, we can quickly and accurately label fruit and vegetable information to ensure their quality and traceability. The application of barcode printing technology has penetrated various aspects of our lives. In the future, we believe there will be more innovative applications, bringing more convenience to our lives.