In the 1983 holiday classic “A Christmas Story,” Ralphie eagerly checks the mail for his decoder pin from the “Little Orphan Annie” radio show only to be disappointed when he finally solves the code and discovers it is nothing more than an advertisement. Although Ralphie’s first coding experience might not have met his expectations, within the consumer packaged goods (CPG) market, coding technology is living up to its reputation.

“Beverage manufacturers want simple-to-use, highly efficient and reliable marking and coding technology,” says John Malette, sales manager with Hitachi America Ltd., Charlotte, N.C.