Food tracing -- the ability to track food through the supply chain back to its origin -- is really taking off these days. As consumers demand more transparency in the food system, grocery stores, suppliers and producers are expected to provide them with greater access to food traceability. That's where the QR code comes in.
Sobey's, Canada's second largest food retailer, has recently launched a traceability system to track its seafood from the ocean to the plate. Customers can not only discover the fisherman who caught their dinner, but also the boat it was caught from, a map of the fishing area where the catch took place and the fishing method used.
"Sobeys is proud to be the first Canadian grocery retailer to offer an innovative and comprehensive seafood traceability system that focuses on more sustainable sources and allows customers to verify the authenticity and quality of their seafood purchases," says David Smith, VP of Retail Strategy & Sustainability at Sobey's.
Traceable seafood products are uniquely coded and tracked from the time they are caught through to their journey to Sobey's stores to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at their seafood purchase: its origin, preparation tips and recipes, photos of the boat and crew, and even the captain's logbook. Customers also have the option to send a note directly to the fisherman that caught their fish.
Vic Amos, B.C. Fisherman, had this to say: "As fishermen, it's great for my crew and me to realize that somebody around the world is buying our fish, and that they can look at who we are and where we come from. Traceability goes back to high quality and sustainability goes back to accountability, so it's important for me to ensure that I fish sustainably and deliver a high-quality product, too."
This whole process is made possible by advancements in QR code technology. On traceable seafood, customers will find a unique code on the product's packaging to input on Sobeys' tracking website, as well as a sticker with a QR code printed on it that can be scanned using a smartphone. This links the customer to much more information about the item than can be printed on the package itself.
Not limited to seafood, this food tracking trend also extends to all kinds of products, from meat to milk to coffee, and also fruits and vegetables. Here are a few other examples, according to a recent article in the Globe & Mail:
"California-based HarvestMark lets shoppers look up information on various coded grocery items, Brazilian food co-op Aurora allows customers to access information on the origin, processing and packaging of a milk product, and German meat co-operative Westfleisch reportedly offers a "Trace 'n Face" system that lets shoppers see a photograph of the pork producer by scanning the label with their cellphones."
