After 3 years of wrangling, the European Union will begin allowing laser labeling or branding of produce, replacing those annoying sticky labels we’ve grown used to seeing. Laser Food, the company behind this technology, says its MARK SYSTEM has the ability to mark each piece of produce without affecting the life of the product creating some added market value.
This process had been previously banned because of the use of iron oxides and hydroxide. The new law, which takes effect June 25th, will allow grocers and retail stores to “tattoo” the skin of fruit with lasered marks that can contain barcodes and other information. The company has been developing the technology since 2009. In this era of food-bourne illnesses, a benefit of this will be that it will allow suppliers to trace where their products are sold.
I wonder, though, if by lasering our produce, if this will allow microscopic particles to sneak into its skin. No word on that so the jury’s out on this one. Guess we’ll have to wait and see how it goes.