The present invention relates to a contamination detector associated with
a double bar code that includes coded indicia used to identify the
presence of conditions indicative of microbial contamination, including
toxic contaminants, bacterial metabolites, and other microbial
secretions. Of the two bar code symbols associated with the contamination
detector, the first identifies the product or container, while the second
bar code symbol is designed to identify the presence of contaminants.
When contamination is not detected, the first bar code symbol is scanner
readable, whereas the second bar code symbol is not. Once contamination
is detected, bars in both bar code symbols can appear or disappear
causing the first bar code symbol to become scanner unreadable and the
second bar code symbol to become scanner readable.