CyberBar

About

CyberBar tamper-proof food traceability from farm to table CyberBar imprints smartphone-readable QR codes directly onto meat products such as chicken fillets, sausages, bacon, etc., providing the consumer with tamper-proof traceability from the farm right through to the domestic fridge (i.e. after removal of the packaging). CyberBar is at TRL6 and combines a specially formulated food-grade paste with direct laser-etching of the produce. This is a resilient process and embeds smartfone-readable QR codes on the produce that can survive freezing for 9 months. A USA patent has been filed. Further work is needed on the paste (to optimise the paste formulation and match it to the laser-etching system) and we need to apply for regulatory approval in EU and USA (GRAS) – this approval is critical for moving to TRL8 as it opens up interest from regulators and commercial companies. We have presented CyberBar at two TRADEIT (see ref 1) fairs and the main challenge is the achievement of food safety approval for the food-grade paste and associated laser-etching process. CyberBar is a world-first, and if successfully implemented will enhance food chain traceability, providing a tamper-proof label that follows the produce beyond removal of the package. For example, a major constraint of using food packaging for traceability is the potential for tampering with the packaging. Furthermore, in day-to-day life, consumers commonly remove packaging before storing the food in the fridge. This presents problems regarding the best before dates, as on returning to the fridge, the consumer may be unsure as to when the packaging was removed and they tend to err on the side of caution and discard the produce. However, CyberBar will reduce such discards, thus helping reduce the high levels of food waste occurring in the household (up to 1/3rd of food waste in the Western World is household related). CyberBar is the ultimate consumer assurance tool, providing information through one quick smartfone scan, using readily available free QR reader apps. CyberBar contains a number of synergies with global consumer lifestyle trends . Consumers demand products that are ‘real and authentic’ and CyberBar provides assurance that the meat product they are purchasing is ‘true to their heritage’ (see ref 2). The QR codes provide a raft of consumer-relevant information: food miles, assurance of ‘pure and fresh’ produce, product quality and safety, nutrition and health information, price and other data for the ‘value seeking consumer’. In the event of a product withdrawal, the presence of indelible tamper-proof QR codes on the food product enhances the product withdrawal process. In an enhanced version i.e. the CyberBar+ Platform, a feed-back loop is provided from consumer to processor: each time a product is scanned by registered consumers (who have signed up in compliance with data protection legislation), details are sent via cloud to a database that the processor (and regulators, if appropriate) can access and glean useful market and product quality information. This is a very powerful mechanism for responding to consumer needs and improving the overall efficiency and market impact. Ref 1. A copy of the powerpoint presented at the TRADEIT fairs is available on: http://www.tradeitnetwork.eu/icfiles/1/68835/137255/4496155/7fe7f15097b162c1f6e66aa6/cyberbar_cshanahan.pdf Ref 2 http://www.bordbiaconsumerlifestyletrends.ie/