Traceability marking and security feature on tobacco products – this applies to manufacturers and importers
Tobacco manufacturers and importers are responsible for marking the products with the traceability marking and the security features. This has to be correctly done to secure that the markings are tamperproof.
Cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco intended for the Swedish market must be marked with a traceability mark, an unique identifier, issued by the Swedish ID-issuer and a security feature with at least the five authentication elements laid down in the Public Health Agency of Sweden’s regulation on security features on unit packets of tobacco products (link below). These markings must be on all unit packets in order to be sold.
The Public Health Agency’s regulations on security marking on unit packets of tobacco products; HSLF-FS 2019:4 (in Swedish)
From 20 May 2024, all tobacco products sold on the Swedish market must bear a traceability marking and a tamperproof security feature.
If aggregated unique identifiers have been created, these shall also be marked on the aggregated units.
Application of the unique identifiers
As a manufacturer or importer, you are responsible for putting a unique identifier on all unit level packets. The unique identifier shall be applied to the unit packet or the aggregated package with a data carrier with both an optical machine-readable code and a human readable code.
More information on ordering unique identifiers and the traceability system
Data carrier
The optically readable code on the unit packet shall be in one of the three approved formats in article 21.1 of implementing regulation 2018/574.
The optically readable code on the aggregated package shall be in one of the three approved formats in Article 21.5 of the Implementing Regulation 2018/574.
In order to distinguish the data carrier for traceability from any other data carriers placed on unit packets, you may add ‘TTT’ or ‘EU TTT’ next to such data carriers.
In order to distinguish the data carriers for traceability from any other data carrier placed on aggregated packaging, you shall add the marking ‘EU TTT’ next to such data carriers.
Time stamp
You shall add a time stamp in the format YYMMDDhh, 8 characters in total, to the codes generated by the ID issuer. The time stamp shall indicate the date and time of production and can either be included in the data carrier or printed separately on the unit packet in a human-readable format.
Human readable code
You are responsible for ensuring that each data carrier also contains a human-readable code, generated by the ID issuer, that makes it possible to track and trace the packet in the database system. If the dimensions of the package permit, the human-readable code shall be next to the optical data carrier with the unique identifier.
The ID issuer generates the human-readable code when issuing the unique identifiers on unit level. For unit packets, the human-readable code consist of the ID issuer's code (QCALL) and the unique serial number (9 characters) and the product code (4 characters) and is 18 characters long.
Information and instructions for encoding and decoding unit level UIs is available on the ID issuer webpage, under the section Documents.
Method for applying the security feature
As a manufacturer or importer, you are responsible for putting a security feature on all unit products. The security feature must be applied to the packet under the cellophane cover and designed in such way it cannot be reused, which means that it should leave marks or break if removed or when the packet is opened.
The security feature can be applied to unit packets of tobacco products using one of the following methods:
- affixing
- printing
- a combination of affixing and printing.
Security features shall be applied to unit packets of tobacco products in a way that:
- allows for the identification and verification of the authenticity of an individual unit packet of tobacco product for the entire time that the tobacco product is placed on the market and
- protects it from being replaced, reused or modified in any way.
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Rules and regulations on traceability marking and security features on tobacco products
