Using technology to understand our food system

Springwise reports on a new smartphone app that let’s consumers read the bar codes on food products so they can learn the source of the food they are buying:

A recent example of an integrated approach to fresh food traceability is HarvestMark‘s partnership with The Kroger Company (2,468 supermarkets in 31 states). Kroger’s private label produce brands now feature sixteen-digit codes by HarvestMark, allowing consumers to find out where their food was grown, when it was packed, how it should be stored, etc.

HarvestMark — a Redwood City-based provider of food tracking solutions — offers a free iPhone app that lets shoppers access information straight from the store, using their phone’s camera to scan a product’s barcode. Alternatively, they can access the information from the company’s homepage. And in the event of a product recall, consumers can quickly check whether the food in their fridge is affected. Kroger is the first retailer to offer HarvestMark on its private label brands.