Some 75% of consumers say that they have scanned a QR code on a food or drink product, with half doing so regularly, a new study by market research firm Appinio on behalf of spiritsEUROPE has found.
According to the study, which took place across five European countries, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Czechia, almost all (95%) those who scan QR codes on products believe that they 'offer a useful way to get detailed product information'.
Convenience, reliance, and readability of information are cited as the greatest advantages of digital labels, according to the study.
Moreover, a large majority (87%) of respondents are in favour of policies to ensure that product-specific information conveyed digitally is truthful and accurate.
'Clear Added Value'
“Consumers across Europe see clear added value in accessing product information via digital labels – and that’s exactly what they are doing in the thousands every single day," commented Ulrich Adam, director general of spiritsEUROPE.
"The upcoming revision of EU food labelling rules offers a chance to regulate the use of e-labels on food and drink products. We call on the European Commission not to miss this unique opportunity and include provisions on e-labels in the upcoming proposal for a Regulation on Food Information to Consumers."
Launch Of U-Label
Last year, spiritsEUROPE, together with the wine sector, launched U-Label, an e-labelling initiative that enabled consumers to access information about the wine and spirits they purchase via a QR code.
"We need policy guidance and rules to develop this innovative, forward-looking approach further and ensure that digital consumer information is truthful, reliable, and accurate,” Adam added.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest drinks news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
