Restaurants will soon use cutting edge DNA ‘barcoding’ technology to assure customers they are eating exactly what they ordered, rather than inferior substitutes, according to a leading U.S. scientist. Secretary of the Washington-based Consortium for the Barcode of Life, Dr David Schindel, believes the DNA ‘barcoding’ has potential applications for food companies and retailers. The Consortium for the Barcode of Life is an international consortium of scientists aiming to compile a comprehensive... ...Read more »

The popularity of smartphone shopping is changing retail horizons. New smartphone applications have been launched in Australia in the past month by major Australian food retailers. Multinational food giant Tesco has launched the world’s first ‘virtual shop’ in Korea during the same period. Australian Food News reports have included new smartphone apps launched by Australia’s two largest supermarket chains, Coles and Woolworths, as well as a new smartphone app from Australia’s largest pizza... ...Read more »

Australia’s largest pizza company, Domino’s Pizza, has launched an Android app which allows its customers to place an order using their smartphone. Domino’s CEO Don Meij said the pizza chain’s Android app has been designed and developed in Australia. Any customer with an Android device can place an order with Domino’s using the app. Through a turn-style menu, the app allows Domino’s customers to customise their own pizza, place an order, choose pick-up or delivery, and track... ...Read more »

Introduction Australian Food News recently reported on a new iPhone application introduced by Woolworths for use by its customers. The following presentation was prepared for clients of food industry lawyers FoodLegal, by direct-marketing smartphone guru Natasha Rawlings. Natasha is the CEO of Dealsta, a company that has been developing apps for several industries (although not currently in the supermarket space). Natasha Rawlings has held senior marketing positions in some of the largest direct-marketing... ...Read more »

 Woolworths has announced it is offering its customers a more efficient way to do their grocery shopping with a newly launched iPhone application. Customers can personalise the app to their local Woolworths supermarket and create an aisle ordered shopping list, making it easier to navigate the store. Customers can also add items to a shopping list with a barcode scanner, access recipes, and receive exclusive member offers and weekly catalogue specials. Innovation Program Manager at Woolworths Supermarkets,... ...Read more »

Nestlé has announced it will begin using bioplastic caps for its UHT and ready-to-drink milk brands in Brazil from today. The new caps are made from plastic derived from sugar-cane materials. The initiative is the result of Nestlé’s partnership with Tetra Pak and Braskem. “This is an innovating initiative that adds further value to our products,” said Ivan Zurite, President of Nestlé Brazil. “Our participation in this project is fully aligned with our global social responsibility platform... ...Read more »

A report released this month in the US has found that retailers are not adequately responding to the rising trend of consumers using mobile phone technology while shopping in supermarkets and other retail stores. The report, title “the Future of In-Aisle Mobile: A Framework for Consumer-Centered Innovation”, was released by White Horse Digital Futures Group, which specialises in consumer technologies. The report found that more consumers are able to use their smartphones to scan, research... ...Read more »

Bosch Packaging Technology has announced its new ‘Eco|Save|Pack’ for secondary carton packaging of fragile products. Bosch says that the new packaging system has the flexibility to provide extra protection for a large variety of fragile products. The carton packaging is claimed to be more eco-friendly than the conventional alternatives of plastic. “The new packaging protects the contents from transport damage caused by impact, falls or pressure due to storage in multi-packs or on pallets,”... ...Read more »

Welcome to the supermarkets of the future: self service checkouts, ‘Tap N Go’ card readers, new smartphone barcode scanning apps and trolleys complete with computers and GPS tracking.  They promise speed, convenience and even more information for customers and retailers. But just how useful are they? Consumer group CHOICE has reviewed these new innovations to see if they live up to the hype, by truly benefiting consumers and retailers. Self service checkouts allow consumers to scan,... ...Read more »

Tourism Victoria has unveiled the tenth edition of its official The Wine Regions of Victoria guide and, for the first time, it is also available in iPhone app format.The Wine Regions of Victoria app brings information about Victoria’s 22 wine regions and more than 240 wineries to wine lovers’ fingertips anywhere, anytime. Featuring enhanced mapping functionality, the new app also offers instant access to winery contact details; including websites, phone numbers and addresses, a ‘wineries... ...Read more »