More than 28,000 products now appear on SmartLabel, an app designed to give consumers more information than what appears on packaging.
Produced by Trading Partner Alliance, SmartLabel allows shoppers to scan a QR code on a product that provides the item’s ingredients and their purpose within the product. SmartLabel also offers allergen information, as well as insight on how the product was made and its environmental impact, among other data.
Consumers are increasingly aware and conscious of the products they consume. A survey conducted in May by Atomik Research found seven out of 10 shoppers want to know more about products than what’s provided on the label. Three-fourths of consumers said they would change grocery buying habits if they had more information on a product.
In early 2017, SmartLabel had approximately 4,000 products in its database. Manufacturers and retailers will launch an education campaign over the next several months to help consumers find the detailed product information.
“Consumers see retailers as a trusted source of information about the products they buy, and this education campaign aims to show consumers how they can use QR codes and other digital disclosure methods to seek a closer connection to the foods they eat and the products they apply,” said Mark Baum, senior v.p. for industry relations at the Food Marketing Institute.
