Edible tag in a biscuit: tracks food from factory to stomach

Tags containing data are commonly used in the food industry. They range from the very basic, like stickers on fruit, to the more technologically advanced, such as radio frequency identification tags that use electromagnetic fields for the automatic identification and tracking of products. However, as the world attempts to cut back on extra packaging, the race is on to develop edible food tags that are non-toxic, don’t change the food’s flavour or appearance, and can be read without having to destroy the food itself.

Researchers from Osaka University have addressed all these issues by developing a method of using a 3D food printer to embed edible data inside food products.

In their original experiments, the researchers embedded edible tags inside biscuits. The tag, known as ‘interiqr’, can be read without having to first destroy the food and it doesn’t change the outer appearance or taste of the food.

“Many foods can now be produced using 3D printers,” explained Yamato Miyatake, lead author of the study. “We realised that the insides of edible objects such as cookies could be printed to contain patterns of empty spaces so that, when you shine a light from behind the cookie, a QR code becomes visible and can be read using a cellphone.”

In this way, a QR code that is made of biscuit is used as the tag, thereby solving any issues of taste and flavour. Even better, because all of the information is contained inside the food, the outer appearance of the cookie is completely unchanged. And because a simple backlight can be used to make the QR code visible, the information is readily available to producers, retailers and consumers at any stage of the food’s journey from factory to stomach.

The researchers experimented with several internal structures to estimate the optimal solution for the structure that does not change the appearance of the cookie, but still allows the data to be read. Image credit: 2022 Miyatake et al., ACM UIST 2022

“Our 3D printing method is a great example of the digital transformation of foods, which we hope will improve food traceability and safety,” said senior author of the study Kosuke Sato. “This technology can also be used to provide novel food experiences through augmented reality, which is an exciting new field in the food industry.”

Given that food tags and packaging are a large source of waste worldwide, this new method of embedding edible information into food will also be important for waste reduction.

The researchers’ article, interiqr: Unobtrusive Edible Tags using Food 3D Printing, will be presented at The 35th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology.

Top image caption: iStock.com/AaronAmat