Most of us are married to our smartphones and with good reason, they double as wallets and with smart shopping apps like the one released by Wolworths Australia in August this year – our mobiles are now, handheld scanners with price-matching capabilities!
But, what if the barcode revealed more than just a comparative list of prices?
What if it related other product information like source of origin and (for fresh items) ‘harvest’ dates. This might change not only how we buy, but where. Consumers could then make informed choices to save money, reduce their environmental impact and shop for good health.
A good case for turning our mobiles into detective devices is fish fraud – among other mislabeled produce scams unearthed in recent years, seafood scams ‘selling cheap ‘pieces’ of fish at high-value cost’ has risen. In a detailed expose by Clare Leschin-Hoar for Scientific America, the introduction of DNA testing and a fish barcode database may prevent future deceptions.
Question is how much do we want to know?
Recently released to independent cinemas around Australia, the controversial documentary “Murder Mouth” takes viewers on a very confronting journey looking at ‘where our meat comes from’. Filmmaker Madeleine Parry, holds nothing back in this RSPCA-approved reality feature. Despite receiving a mixed review from critics the film’s creator insists it offers valuable insight of particular importance to growing generations of unconnected to where there food comes from.
This principle of ‘origin awareness’ has now, also been applied to fruit and veg – once again as an app for mobile devices. Introducing “Taggie” by Dutch designer Niels van Hoof an application that enables individuals to research where their supermarket food comes from. Simply scan a product tag and the app displays an animation of where and how the food grows, with details on the different varieties available.
Discovering the Truth About Food may not always be pleasant but, armed with knowledge we are empowered to positively influence the industry and ultimately the health of ourselves and the planet.
