Know your vegetables: Know they are safe

Scan QR code with vegetables at Lotus & trace produce back to field it was grown on. Nutritional info & recipes too.

A consumer scans the QR code for morning glory.

Click button to listen to QR Tags at Lotus download  

Source code
Tesco Lotus is offering detailed information on your mobile device about the origin of produce
19/06/2013
Sasiwimon Boonruang

A QR code (Source: Wikipedia)

Smartphones and tablets might have been built for communication, checking email, browsing the internet and playing games, but now you can trace the origin of the morning glory and cabbage that you buy from the supermarket.

By downloading QR code scanning apps such as QR Droid for Android-based smartphones or NeoReader for iPhones or iPads, you can transform your device into a produce expert.

At Tesco Lotus, consumers can scan the QR code on the vegetable shelf and trace the item back to the source producers. At the moment, only morning glory and cabbage are available for scanning.

The QR code is the latest innovation to meet the needs of health-conscious consumers and to reassure them about food safety, according to Tesco Lotus trading law and technical head Pornpen Nartpiriyarat. Scanning the QR code on the packaging will reveal the origin of the vegetable, which includes the exact location of the plot it was planted. 

The system has been designed to link with Google Earth, and consumers are able to see where the product has been on the supply route and the critical control points. Consumers can also get nutritional information and a recommended recipe which will be updated every month.

"This initiative will change the face of fresh products in Thailand as from now consumers can get detailed information about these items and can be confident in the quality of the food," Pornpen said.

The QR code for vegetables was developed with Pran Fresh Co Ltd which has its own organic farm and 10 grower partners. Tesco Lotus is working with other suppliers as the QR code will be extended to 20 other vegetables over the next two months.

Apart from vegetables, the QR code will be applied to fruit, meat and imported products.

Tesco Lotus will roll out the system around the country within three years.

Imported fruit such as apples and grapes will be part of the QR system in the coming months, and will provide a link to videos of farmers harvesting the crops.

Tesco Lotus fresh food trading director Mark Murphy said the system will help consumers who look for high quality.

At the same time, it will help Thai farmers market their products to suit the demand for fresh food.

The QR code system is part of the Tesco Lotus Freshness Guarantee programme launched last August. Over the past few months, Tesco Lotus has been giving specialised food safety training to growers, increased direct sourcing to get fresh products to customers and expanding the fresh distribution centre at Lam Luk Ka, Pathum Thani. Department of Agricultural Extension deputy director Withaya Athipanan said technology has been used to assure consumers about food safety and encourage producers and farmers to be more careful during production.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Technology, Source code, Tesco Lotus is offering detailed information on your mobile device about the origin of produce, 19/06/2013, Sasiwimon Boonruang, link) 

Consumers can get nutritional information and recommended recipes via smartphone.

QR Code Vocabulary

QR code - a bar code put on things and products in stores to identify them and provide information like price and origin (See Wikipedia)

mobile tagging - "the process of providing data read from tags for display on mobile devices, commonly encoded in a two-dimensional barcode, using the camera of a camera phone as the reader device. The contents of the tag code is usually a URL for information addressed and accessible through Internet" (See Wikipedia)

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) - the use of wireless to transfer dataon on tags attached to objects (such as products in stores). The tags contain electronically stored information.(See Wikipedia)

scan - to move something over a device that takes a picture or reads info from it สแคน
scan QR code
scan the QR code on the vegetable shelf

QR code scanning apps
QR Droid for Android-based smartphones - (See Facebook)

NeoReader - (See Wikipedia)
NeoReader for iPhones or iPads

consumer - someone who buys and uses goods and services ผู้บริโภค

produce - fresh vegetables
morning glory - ผักบุ้ง
cabbage - กะหล่ำปลี

glory and cabbage that you buy from the supermarket.

fresh - new สด, ใหม่
fresh vegetables

a consumer scans the QR code for morning glory

source code - computer programs (the actual text of the computer language that makes the program work)

device - a machine or piece of equipment that does a particular job อุปกรณ์ เครื่องมือ เครื่องจักร
mobile device - devices such as mobile phones or tablets that you can carry with you and use anywhere
information on your mobile device

origin - where something comes from , source ที่มา, ต้นกำเนิด, จุดกำเนิด, จุดเริ่มต้น
the origin of produce

Tesco Lotus is offering detailed information on your mobile device about the origin of produce
smartphones - mobile phones that offer advanced features so they become a lot like a computer (See Wikipedia)

communication - การติดต่อสื่อสาร
smartphones are built for communication

trace - to follow the same route or path that someone else used before ตามรอย ตามทาง to follow the evidence to find out something ตามรอย ตามทาง to discover the cause or origin of something by examining the way in which it has developed สืบหาร่องรอย

trace the origin of - find out where something comes from

trace the origin of the morning glory and cabbage that you buy from the supermarket.

Smartphones and tablets might have been built for communication, checking email, browsing the internet and playing games, but now you can trace the origin of the morning glory and cabbage that you buy from the supermarket.

QR code scanning apps such as QR Droid for Android-based smartphones

transform - to change from one form into another เปลี่ยนไปสู่อีกสิ่งหนึ่ง
transform your device into a produce expert

By downloading QR code scanning apps such as QR Droid for Android-based smartphones or NeoReader for iPhones or iPads, you can transform your device into a produce expert.

source - the place or person something comes from or starts at, or the cause of something ต้นกำเนิด, แหล่งกำเนิด
source producers
trace the item back to the source producers.

shelf - places where products are put at many levels หิ้ง,  ชั้น
the vegetable shelf

At Tesco Lotus, consumers can scan the QR code on the vegetable shelf and trace the item back to the source producers.

at the moment, ... - now, ...
moment - a very short period of time; a particular time or occasionชั่วขณะ, โอกาสสำคัญ

At the moment, only morning glory and cabbage are available for scanning.

innovation - a new way of doing something นวัตกรรม
the latest innovation

conscious - aware; thinking about something often & noticing it & realising it is important ความสำนึก ความตระหนักถึง
health-conscious - thinking about health often
consumers - people who buy things or services (individuals and families)

health-conscious consumers
meet the needs of health-conscious consumers

reassure - say something to make people stop worrying; to make someone feel less worried about something ให้ความมั่นใน
reassure consumers about food safety

technical - requiring special detailed knowledge (example: computers, electronics, manufacturing)
technical head - the manager in charge of technical things at a company
Tesco Lotus technical head Pornpen Nartpiriyarat

The QR code is the latest innovation to meet the needs of health-conscious consumers and to reassure them about food safety, according to Tesco Lotus trading law and technical head Pornpen Nartpiriyarat.

reveal - to show; to indicate; to let something become known เปิดเผย เปิดเผยข้อมูลว่า to show something that was covered or hidden ทำให้ปรากฎ
reveal the origin of the vegetable

packaging - the container or covering for a product while it is waiting to be sold in stores

Scanning the QR code on the packaging will reveal the origin of the vegetable.

exact - ถูกต้อง, ถูกต้องแม่นยำ
location - the place where something is ที่ตั้ง, ที่อยู่
exact location

plot - a piece of land used for a particular purpose
the plot it was planted in

the exact location of the plot it was planted

Scanning the QR code on the packaging will reveal the origin of the vegetable, which includes the exact location of the plot it was planted.

link - connect เชื่อม
the system links with Google Earth

route - the way that planes, buses, trains, or ships travel regularly เส้นทางของรถ เรือ เครื่องบิน,etc.
supply route 

consumers see where the product has been on the supply route and the critical control points

critical - important; extremely important because a future situation will be affected by it สำคัญยิ่ง
critical control points

The system has been designed to link with Google Earth, and consumers are able to see where the product has been on the supply route and the critical control points. Consumers can also get nutritional information and a recommended recipe which will be updated every month.

change the face of
change the face of fresh products in Thailand

initiative - a new action or movement, often intended to solve a problem ความคิดริเริ่ม
this initiative will change the face of fresh products in Thailand

confident - being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or the future มั่นใจ
confident in the quality of the food
consumers can be confident in the quality of the food

This initiative will change the face of fresh products in Thailand as from now consumers can get detailed information about these items and can be confident in the quality of the food.

partners - someone you do an activity together with    
Tesco's grower partners

The QR code for vegetables was developed with Pran Fresh Co Ltd which has its own organic farm and 10 grower partners.

extend - make bigger, include more in it
the QR code will be extended to other vegetables, fruit, meat and imported products

Tesco Lotus is working with other suppliers as the QR code will be extended to 20 other vegetables over the next two months. Apart from vegetables, the QR code will be applied to fruit, meat and imported products.

roll out - start something new, introduce 
rollout the system

Tesco Lotus will roll out the system around the country within three years.

harvesting - collecting a crop from the fields การเก็บเกี่ยว
farmers harvesting the crops.

provide - to give someone something that they want or need

Imported fruit such as apples and grapes will be part of the QR system in the coming months, and will provide a link to videos of farmers harvesting the crops.

Tesco Lotus fresh food trading director Mark Murphy said the system will help consumers who look for high quality.

demand - the need and desire to buy goods and services by households and businesses
the demand for fresh food

At the same time, it will help Thai farmers market their products to suit the demand for fresh food.

launched - began เริ่ม started เริ่มต้นดำเนินการ
launch program
the program was launched

The QR code system is part of the Tesco Lotus Freshness Guarantee programme launched last August.

specialised - specially trained in a particular narrow area of knowledge
training - to teach people how to do an activity or job การฝึกฝน
specialised food safety training

sourcing - locating good companies to buy things from
direct sourcing to get fresh products to customers

distribution - giving or delivering things to many people การจำหน่ายออกไป
distribution centre
the fresh distribution centre

Over the past few months, Tesco Lotus has been giving specialised food safety training to growers, increased direct sourcing to get fresh products to customers and expanded the fresh distribution centre at Lam Luk Ka, Pathum Thani.

assure - to tell something that something is true or will definitely happen ให้ความมั่นใจ, ยืนยัน
assure consumers about food safety

encourage - make people interested in and excited about doing an activity ปลุกใจ
encourage to be more careful during production

Department of Agricultural Extension deputy director Withaya Athipanan said technology has been used to assure consumers about food safety and encourage producers and farmers to be more careful during production.

nutritional (adjective)  - about food and its value for health ทางอาหาร,  เกี่ยวกับอาหาร
information - ข้อมูล
nutritional information

recommended - things that other people think are good, that they think you should try แนะนำ
recipes - how to make food dishes ตำรากับข้าว,  วิธีปรุง
recommended recipes

Consumers can get nutritional information and recommended recipes via smartphone.