The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said on the 17th that it will hold the "FoodQR policy briefing on expanding the application of use-by dates" at the SETEC Convention Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
The FoodQR code is a device that allows consumers to check food information; when a consumer points a phone camera at the QR code printed on a product, the food information appears on the phone screen. The ministry said it plans to apply Time Bar Code technology in this process.
A Time Bar Code is a technology that inputs use-by-date information into a product barcode. When this technology is applied, if a seller scans the QR code at the point of sale (POS), food past its use-by date will not be processed for payment and an alert, such as a warning sound, will notify staff to block the sale.
About 200 people, including food and health functional food manufacturers and convenience store companies, are expected to attend the briefing. It will proceed in the following order: ▲ Purpose of introducing FoodQR and policy direction ▲ On-site application cases of Time Bar Code ▲ Guidance on QR printing technology that carries use-by-date information ▲ Q&A.
In particular, officials from food manufacturing and processing companies that have already introduced Time Bar Code technology (LOTTE Wellfood, SPC Samlip) will attend to share real-world application cases and know-how. In addition, officials from barcode printing equipment manufacturers plan to provide detailed guidance on QR printing methods that contain use-by-date information, printing speeds, and more.
Currently, some related industries such as convenience stores are voluntarily applying Time Bar Code technology to products with short use-by periods, such as kimbap, sandwiches, and lunch boxes. The ministry plans to push for applying (embedding) it to QR codes for a wider range of foods, including bread, milk, and infant formula, so that products past their use-by dates can be blocked at the point of sale.
An official at the ministry said, "We will continue to pursue food safety management policies that utilize a variety of digital technologies together with the industry so that the public can consume safe food."