From 2022, Kellogg Europe will be equipping all product packaging with the new NaviLens technology, which makes information on the packaging accessible to blind and visually impaired people.
Important information on food packaging, such as allergen information, is often not accessible to blind or visually impaired people. The new boxes make it possible for a smartphone to unique code on the packaging and to reproduce the labelling information for visually impaired shoppers.
Kellogg will convert all of its product packaging in Europe, starting in 2022 with Kellogg's Special K. The company also hopes that by sharing experiences with other brands, there will be an opportunity to improve the packaging of its products. Supermarket shelves generally more accessible for people with visual impairments so that they can shop more independently and retrieve information from different packaging.
NaviLens - a globally unique technology
The market launch was preceded by a Successful pilot test 2020 on the packaging of Kellogg's Choco Krispies marketed in the UK. The evaluation by the British charity organisation Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) revealed that 97 per cent of participants would like to see more of these accessibility features on food packaging in the future.
Unlike other types of printed codes, the new technology, called NaviLens, contains high-contrast coloured squares on a black background. Users do not need to know exactly where the code is located in order to scan it. It enables smartphones to recognise the Code on the packaging can be seen from up to three metres away, when blind or visually impaired shoppers hold their devices in the direction of the products. The phone is then alerted and the shopper can have the information on ingredients, allergens and recycling read aloud - or read it on the device with the help of accessibility tools.
Making information accessible for the visually impaired
The technology is currently being used in the transport systems of the cities of Barcelona, Madrid and Murcia, making it easier for thousands of visually impaired citizens to navigate the cities. In the UK, it has been for the first time as part of the Kellogg study introduced.
Aura Botorog, European VP Kellogg Brands is delighted with the innovation: „Over 30 million people across Europe live with a visual impairment and are unable to easily read the information on our packaging. As a company that specialises in Equality, diversity and inclusion we believe that everyone should be able to obtain important and useful information about the food we sell.
That is why, from next year equip all our European product packaging with the new technology. I'm proud that Kellogg will be the first company in the world to use NaviLens. We know it's important that all packaging is accessible for blind people to make shopping easier, so we will share our experience with other brands who want to learn more.“
Javier PitaCEO of NaviLens, the start-up company that developed the technology, adds: „The inclusion of NaviLens codes on food packaging is a positive step towards a more inclusive and accessible shopping experience for the visually impaired. This enables people with visual impairments to shop more independently and make their own food choices.“
Source: Kellogg GmbH
