Project Background

Food safety is something that everybody should be genuinely interested in. As different as we all are, we all still need food and water to make it through each day. As living standards improve, people are starting to place increasing value on their health. This can be reflected by the soaring growth of the organic goods industry. According to the USDA(U.S. Department of Agriculture), the organic goods industry is projected to reach a staggering 272.18 billion by 2027. This is particularly interesting because organic food usually costs significantly more. Despite that extra premium, the ever-increasing popularity of organic foods is showing no sign of slowing down. People like the peace of mind of knowing what they are consuming would be considered beneficial to their overall well-being. So much so that they don't mind the 30-50% price increase. Due to that fact, having some form of substantiation behind food security is imminently desirable for the consumer and the producers. An efficient and transparent tracking system is required to offer this layer of security.

Solution Details

As mentioned above, food safety and security are a high priority factor that guides people's purchasing decisions. To convince the consumers that a certain product is indeed safe, a certain level of evidence is required to establish credibility. A transparent, easily traceable origin for the product goes a long way in building that ethos. Allowing the consumer to see which entity produced the original product and which entity performed secondary processing (if applicable) elevates some of the stress of the unknown and establishes trust. Letting the consumer know which entities are responsible for what is also a great booster of confidence in the product as the people who are responsible for the product can be held accountable. A system that tracks the product throughout its entire commercial life span is within the best interest of both parties, and the integration of barcodes can help make it a reality. 

On the consumer's end, every time before they make a purchase, a QR code is present on the product to provide more information. After scanning the QR code, all the relevant information regarding how the product got to the shelves is presented. Which planet produced the raw materials, which entity processed it, which establishment was responsible for transporting it, all that information is neat sorted in one place for the consumers to see. Removing any obscurity and uncertainty regarding the product they are interested in.