Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for identifying beer barrels and the like by means of omnidirectional reading of coded labels affixed to the top end face of each barrel. The apparatus and method provides for machine readability of the coded labels and the subsequent systematic handling of the barrels through the use of a particular code label arrangement using multiple labels and multiple code scanners. In accordance with this method, four labels having identical codes are placed in such an array that pairs of labels are oriented at an angle of about 45.degree. relative to each other. A pair of spaced optical code readers scan the code bearing end faces of the barrels as they are conveyed through an identification region. The scanning beams are spaced by a distance greater than the diameter of the barrels and are arranged to converge at a location remote from the conveyor at an angle of about 45.degree..