Salisbury-based Handy International is the nation’s first and only food producer to include a code on seafood products that traces their origin and freshness.
Handy began labeling a matrix type symbol called a QR Code onto packages of fish harvested by contractors in Mexico and distributed frozen to retailers and restaurants. A censor reads the code for information regarding the country, body of water and date the fish was caught — information buyers want and that ensures transparency and quality assurance for the seafood company through available technology.
“The QR Code gives information about where a product comes from, where it was packed,” said Terry Conway, president and chief executive at Handy. “It is a new innovation, new in the seafood industry, and Handy is the first known company to use the QR Code on seafood.”
