MM Mega Market Vietnam, formerly Metro Cash and Carry, has said it will use quick response (QR) code plastering application to provide information about products. — VNS Photo

HCM CITY (Biz Hub) — MM Mega Market Vietnam, formerly Metro Cash and Carry, has said it will use quick response (QR) code plastering application to provide information about products.

To be used first at its An Phú Store, the application will help customers trace the origin of food products by scanning the code with their smart phones to get information like location, certificate code, validity date and slaughter information.

The first supermarket to adopt this advanced technology to enable customers to check the source of a product, MM Mega Market will go on to scale up its use in its system nation-wide in the immediate future.

Phidsanu Pongwatana, CEO of MM Mega Market Vietnam, said: "I believe putting QR codes on products is a necessary step to protect the fundamental right of the customers, which is to have access to safe and quality products.

"At this point, we already have 19 vegetable and fruit product lines from Đà Lạt at 19 stores of MM Mega Market and 37 pork products affixed with QR codes.

"And more products with QR codes will come very soon."

Using the QR code is an excellent way to help customers track down the source and origin of products quickly and at no cost. Products affixed with a QR code will come with necessary background information on them. To get the information, consumers can follow these simple steps:

First, download the QR Code decoding application to their devices. Download a QR scanner, QR code scanner or other software from CH play (Android phones) or Store (Windows) or App store (iOS).

After installing the app in the device, consumers can start the scanning process to decode the QR code for the product they want, by: (1) Opening the app on their phones; (2) Directing the device's camera to the barcode area; and (3) Reading the results.

One of Metro's suppliers, Nguyễn Thị Hương Ngọc, deputy director of the Saigon Animal husbandry and Food Manufacturing Company (SagriFood)'s plant – Nam Phong Food Processing Plant, said: "At a time when food hygiene and safety is a concern, the QR code solution comes in as an effective way to have strict control over the sourcing, origin and transparency of products, while also strengthening food quality, hygiene and safety governance. 

"Doing something new, however, will mean certain challenges at the outset such as more work to be done, specifically working with the farms to get the information that MM Mega Market needs to input data into the QR code."

As a trailblazing firm in promoting and improving public health through safe food supply chains, by taking the lead in applying the QR code for product traceability, MM Mega Market proves once again its number one priority lies with food product safety and hygiene. — VNS