News
Quorn expands frozen range with blind and visually impaired inclusive technology
The newly launched ‘Tomato and Mozzarella Escalopes’ and ‘Mini Vegan Sausage Rolls’ will be the first Quorn range to include the NaviLens technology.
The escalopes will be available from 12 August in Asda stores, with Tesco and Morrisons locations following shortly afterwards, while the sausage rolls go on sale from 20 August at Asda.
The NaviLens technology involves a barcode, which when scanned allows the ingredients, preparation instructions and recycling information to be heard aloud through a mobile device.
The barcodes can be read by smartphones up to 12-times further away than a standard QR code, while they do not require focus. This means that the shopper does not need to know the exact location of the code in order to successfully scan it.
NaviLens codes will be added to approximately 40 different ranges over the next 12 months.
Widely accessible products
Gill Riley, marketing director at Quorn Foods UK, described the addition of NaviLens technology to the manufacturer’s products as a “huge step” towards making shopping a more inclusive experience.
“We’re really proud to be the first meat free brand to add NaviLens technology to our packaging,” Riley said.
“As category leaders, we want to make our products as widely accessible as possible. Bringing new and delicious products to the market, alongside innovative technology, enables more shoppers to try meat free and helps us with our mission to provide great tasting food for people and for the planet.”
Meanwhile, the head of accessibility innovation at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), Marc Powell, said that the widespread use of similar technology will allow people living with sight loss to enjoy “further choice and independence”.
Powell added: “We’re delighted that Quorn is introducing NaviLens technology onto their product packaging. This is a positive step in making products accessible for blind and partially sighted people and ensuring they have the same access and choice as our sighted peers.”
In other news, a report by Rabobank has said that consolidation in the plant-based meat market is inevitable.
