Food label news: Fresh Code and AOP

(Yanko Design 2010)

This week in food news highlights two new labels: a team of designers introduced their concept of the Fresh Code, and European dairy products are now protected with the AOP.

The Fresh Code
Via Yanko Design (YD), an international design blog, designers Sisi Yuan, Yiwu Qiu, Lei Zhao, Qiulei Huang, Lijun Zhang and Weihang Shu revealed that they have created an intelligent barcode to determine the freshness of produce sitting in grocery watering bins. The Fresh Code would eliminate over-ripe and past sell-date produce to be sold. The designers explain, "The Fresh Code offers a simple solution to this problem; it's an intelligent barcode with a graph that indicates the freshness level. As time passes by, the graph on the barcode keeps receding, till it finally reaches '0'; indicating that the veggie needs to be dumped and not sold." http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/03/17/dare-they-sell-you-stale-veggies-now/

AOP/POD
Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP) label is the European Union version of France's Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC), also referred to as the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in English. It basically means the products with these labels protect a distinct cultural and gastronomic heritage. The AOP was accepted by the European Union in late 2009, but many products are just beginning to bear the label. The criteria for a dairy product to receive an AOP label, include:

 - Originates from a determined region or zone
 - Satisfies specific production regulations
 - Has an officially established reputation
 - Producers apply for and obtain Designation of Origin recognition from INAO and, thereafter, apply for a PDO recognition from the European Union.

For more information on finding European AOP/PDO products visit: http://www.fromage-aop.com