FMCG Business talks to Mark Inglis, Sales & Marketing Manager at AsureQuality, about a major innovation for producers, exporters and consumers.
Imagine scanning a new product in store with your smartphone and having instant verification from independent industry experts of the product’s country of origin, organic status and nutritional details. Now that would be a useful insight!
In a world facing increasing concerns for food safety and quality, the ability to get independently verified information about a product’s ‘brand story’ right at the point of sale is a big step forward. It is highly significant for New Zealand food exports and with this in mind, AsureQuality, global experts in food safety and quality, have developed the inSight™ brand, which is designed to provide consumers with credible information about the products they are buying.
The process of supply chain assessment to gain an inSight™ licence is rigorous and robust before it allows producers to use the inSight™ brand and a unique QR barcode on their products. By scanning the barcode with their mobile devices, shoppers are taken straight to the inSight™ website (www.aqinsight.com), where the product’s landing page is hosted to preserve the integrity of the information. Here they can view independent evidence about the product features and make an informed decision prior to purchase.
Tenda Nutritional Foods successfully launched its range of inSight™ branded infant formula products into the Chinese market recently and is now set to release a range of kids snacks. This has created trust for its consumers by showing transparency, integrity and safety in the production process, enabling Chinese parents to make confident and informed purchase decisions.
Tenda is the first licensee to take the new inSight™ brand to China. The New Zealand owned and operated company is based in Auckland and all Tenda infant formula products are manufactured and packaged here in New Zealand.
Mark Inglis, Sales & Marketing Manager at AsureQuality, says inSight™ is providing a crucial point of difference for products in the busy FMCG market. “InSight™ gives consumers the opportunity to buy products, certain in the knowledge that they possess the food safety and quality attributes promoted. This is the first type of product mark that is able to address the multiple interests of consumers, and we are proud to be bringing product assurances into the 21st century,” he says.
Features that consumers can check via the inSight™ website include environmental sustainability, ethical and animal welfare, nutrition, origin, organic status, and food quality and safety. The service will also be useful for companies seeking anti-counterfeit solutions and proof of provenance.
“A number of other New Zealand companies have successfully gained an inSight™ licence and will be exporting inSight™ branded products over the coming months,” says Inglis. Some of these companies have strong domestic brands and products, which means New Zealand consumers may also soon be able to benefit from the innovation and see the new QR code in store.
AsureQuality is a state-owned company and a leading provider of food safety and quality assurance services to the primary production and food manufacturing sectors in over 40 countries, including New Zealand, Australia, Asia and the Middle East. It offers audit, inspection and testing services along the supply chain and has a scientific and agricultural pedigree that goes back over 100 years. The company independently verifies that food safety standards have been met assisting producers to gain access to their chosen global markets. For more information call Freephone 0508 001122 or visit the website www.asurequality.com.
