28.11.2011

Traceability with QR code as a marketing tool

The issue of traceability is unquestionably coming more and more to the fore in the meat market. Driven by market diversification and new technical possibilities through smart phones and mobiles, the burden of proof of origin and regionality of food for producers is increasing. Consumers, especially the younger ones, are demanding more information on the origin of their meals, piqued by new communication opitions and marketing strategies. This development has further been strengthened by the decision of the EU Parliament to make the designation of origin for fresh meat obligatory.

A recent example is the widely promoted “Meat Scout” scheme, a new initiative launched by Austrian’s leading discount chain, Hofer. The scheme allows consumers to source information about every item of meat they buy.
The company Aibler, producer of fine meats and sausages and member of the Schirnhofer Familien Unternehmen Holding GmbH, recognised this trend early and aimed to set new measures in origin and traceability in the market place. Intact was charged with the conception and implementation of the project, and consequently developed a traceability system for fresh meat products, using a “Quick Response” or QR code.

Accessibility of origin data from the entire supply chain ensures an overall traceability of fresh meat. Interested buyers can track the information directly while in the shop with their smart phones or on the Internet at home.

The QR code, which is printed directly on the meat packaging, establishes a connection between product and origin information. The native regions are automatically generated by the Flowweb traceability database. Success depends on the necessary information from the suppliers, data from the slaughterhouses and processing companies, as well as the packaging being directly integrated via the interface into the Flowweb database. Each piece of information is then directly and automatically connected with each other via batch information.

The scanned QR code leads to a mobile website that is especially adapted for smart phones and provides product and origin information as well as product information useful for the consumer e.g. nutritional value, recipe suggestions, etc.

Aibler has delivered fresh meat with QR code tags to Hofer, mainly in Vienna and Lower Austria, since the middle of October. In the month and a half since then Aibler has recorded a lot of page views from interested consumers. The next phase is to expand the scheme to include processing products. In addition, it is planned that other companies belonging to the Schirnhofer Familien Holding will be integrated into the scheme.

If you are interested or have questions on the system, please contact us at any time.