A North East entrepreneur has teamed up with academics to create innovative software for scannable codes, with hopes of transforming food industry packaging.
Peter Woods, director of Bellingham-based Label Says Ltd, has created the edible printed ink code that can be added directly onto all types of food, including fish, fruit, vegetables, baked goods, drinks and meat.
With the aid of the Label Says app, waving phones over the food items’ code will reveal a wealth of information such as its origins, production, ingredients, allergy guidance and even recipes. Combined, the app and code allow customers to learn more about products they are buying and significantly reducing food packaging.
Mr Woods created the code in collaboration with Sunderland University and supported by funding through the GX project, a two-year business innovation programme part of the legacy from last year’s Great Exhibition of the North.
It is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and delivered by NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI), in partnership with the Innovation SuperNetwork.
Sunderland graduates Daniel Almond and Dominic Hutchinson, alongside associate professor Derek Watson, who has a wide expertise in the food sector with a particular knowledge of quality standards, helped Mr Woods design and develop his application, which will provide codes for the food industry from farmers to supermarkets.
Mr Woods said: “I am delighted to be working with the University of Sunderland, it’s a great collaboration between a start-up SME and the university and I have really been impressed by the quality of support I have been given.
“The way we buy our food will drastically change in the coming years. Climate change, as well as the demand from customers, is driving supermarkets and other food providers to drastically reduce their packaging. The application we have developed enables customers to get the relevant information they need about nutrition, sourcing allergies and how to dispose of any waste, without the need for excessive packing. Ultimately it is better for the customer, the food supplier and our planet.”
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Mr Watson, leader for innovation and technology transfer and academic industry collaboration, said: “Working with Label Says Ltd is a clear demonstration of how our university co-collaborates effectively with external partners.
“The project hinged on two very talented students working in the area of augmented reality, and we were exceptionally lucky to have Daniel and Dominic who have proved themselves in the commercial arena.
“We all worked as a team and have grown from this project, there was a great synergy felt by all from our group dynamic. We are now at a stage where we can pitch the product to the food industry.”
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Mr Hutchinson, 22, who graduated in July with a degree in Games Development, helped design the software behind the app.
He added: “My final-year dissertation was based around augmented reality and gamified software, so this project fitted perfectly with what I’d been learning during my degree. It’s been a fantastic opportunity and hopefully enhanced my future prospects.”