Blind and partially sighted consumers constitute a growing demographic, and innovative solutions are emerging to facilitate their access to essential on-pack product information and nutritional details.
The Challenge:
Europe is home to an estimated 30 million blind and partially sighted individuals, with approximately one in 30 Europeans experiencing some form of sight loss, primarily linked to aging. As the population ages, these numbers are expected to increase.
Nine out of ten visually impaired shoppers encounter difficulties or find it impossible to read packaging information on food and beverage products, according to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). In the UK alone, there are two million partially sighted and blind individuals, a number projected to double by 2050. This underscores the pressing need for innovation in this space, comparable to the surge in plant-based product development for a relatively small vegan demographic in the UK, estimated at just over one million individuals.
Innovative Solutions:
Promising solutions are emerging. UK-based Zappar offers “Zapvision,” an app that users can open and point in the direction of a product, whether in-store or at home. The app scans for and detects an accessible QR code within a range of 1.2 meters, providing audio cues and category information for the product. Once the desired product is located, users can access product information, including allergens, dietary preferences, and on-pack details, using built-in accessibility features like voice assist. Zappar’s Zapvision has already been employed on QR codes for Unilever’s Persil packaging in the UK, in collaboration with RNIB.
Other technologies aim to assist visually impaired food and beverage shoppers. For instance, the Co-op incorporates braille on select products. Additionally, time- and touch-sensitive technology allows visually impaired individuals to “feel” when a product has spoiled, eliminating the reliance on use-by labels.
Enhancing Accessibility:
Meat-free brand Quorn has recently announced its collaboration with RNIB to introduce similar technology, provided by the Spanish-based company NaviLens, to enhance accessibility for blind and visually impaired shoppers within its frozen product range. Users can point their phones at a separate barcode, which provides information on ingredients, preparation instructions, and recycling details audibly through their mobile devices. NaviLens technology excels in reading these separate barcodes, extending the range by up to 12 times compared to standard QR codes, without requiring precise focus, simplifying product identification for visually impaired shoppers and facilitating informed purchasing decisions.
Gill Riley, Marketing Director at Quorn Foods UK, lauded NaviLens technology as a significant step toward making the weekly food shopping experience more inclusive and seamless for the visually impaired. Quorn is implementing NaviLens barcodes on products like Tomato and Mozzarella Escalopes and Mini Vegan Sausage Rolls, initially in Asda and Tesco stores, with plans to expand to Morrisons and Sainsburys later this year. These two products represent the first of 42 SKUs slated to feature NaviLens QR codes over the next 12 months. Gill emphasized that this launch presents an opportunity to welcome more individuals into this product category.
Equal Access:
Marc Powell, Head of Accessibility Innovation, expressed enthusiasm about Quorn’s adoption of NaviLens technology on their product packaging. He underscored the importance of providing equal access and choice for blind and partially sighted consumers. Quorn, as the first vegetarian food brand to embrace this technology, aims to enhance choice and independence for individuals with sight loss.
NaviLens technology was initially introduced by Kellogg in 2020, in partnership with RNIB, featuring printed codes on Coco Pops boxes in nearly 60 Co-op stores across the UK. It was subsequently integrated into the packaging of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Special K Original, Rice Krispies, and Crispix cereal brands in Europe and the US. Other brands such as Coca-Cola, Aunt Bessie’s, and Spanish bread brand BIMBO have also adopted NaviLens codes. The company anticipates announcing more collaborations, as NaviLens apps can operate in up to 36 languages and appear on approximately five million products worldwide.
Unique Advantages:
NaviLens spokespersons emphasized the technology’s unique advantage in enabling easy scanning at a greater angle (up to 165 degrees) and distance compared to traditional QR codes. This eliminates the need for precise focusing or framing, making product information quickly accessible without the need to scan each QR code individually.
Access to Unprecedented Information:
For visually impaired individuals, having access to nutrition information found on pre-packaged foods—often taken for granted by those without visual impairments—is of paramount importance. This technology provides access to information that blind and partially sighted individuals have never had before. Many remain unaware of its existence, and therefore, it’s essential for more brands and manufacturers to adopt such solutions. The industry’s progress since 2020 in this direction is commendable, ensuring equal access for all consumers.
