From the first quarter of 2023, NaviLens technology will arrive on cereal-based Kellogg snack packs throughout Europe, which improves product accessibility and makes the shopping experience more inclusive for blind and visually impaired people. The project, which involves inserting a QR code into the design of the pack of bars, has so far involved over 150 million packs of Kellogg’s cereals throughout Europe, allowing consumers, after scanning the special code using their smartphone, to access in audio form to information on ingredients, allergens and recycling, information often not accessible to people with visual impairments.
The NaviLens code is made with high-contrast colors for easier identification, even at a distance of twelve times greater than that of traditional barcodes or Qr codes. Furthermore, it is not necessary to know the exact location of the code on the package because the technology works even without a ‘focused’ shot.
On the occasion of the National Day of the Blind, which will be held tomorrow December 13, Kellogg Italia has also organised, in collaboration with the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired and Carrefour Italia, a day of assisted shopping for blind and visually impaired people in some selected outlets. Specifically, in the Carrefour Italia sales points located in Piazzale degli Eroi in Rome, in the CityLife Shopping District in Milan and in via di Prato in Calenzano (in the province of Florence), Kellogg will be present with its own stand to assist consumers in shopping thanks to the support of the volunteers of the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired. “The collaboration with the Carrefour Italia sign – underlines the brand – stems from the sharing of the values of equity, diversity and inclusion and is in continuity with the many projects that the supermarket chain already has in place to encourage increasingly inclusive”.
Commenting on the initiative, Giuseppe Riccardi, General Manager of Kellogg Italia, recalls how “the integration of innovative technology on our packaging is in line with the values of our founder, WK Kellogg, and our commitment to a more equitable society , inclusive and diverse, thus reaching more and more people and improving their quality of life”.
“For people with visual impairments, even small daily actions can represent a critical moment. The project with Kellogg Italia and Carrefour Italia contributes concretely to improving the shopping experience of the blind and visually impaired”, explains Mario Barbuto, president of the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired.
“Carrefour is committed to offering a more inclusive shopping experience for all its customers, regardless of their abilities. We are very happy with this important collaboration with Kellogg Italia and the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired because, thanks to this assisted spending initiative, we are joining forces to raise awareness in society about the condition of blind and visually impaired people, showing not only the difficulties these can be encountered in moments of daily life, such as shopping or organizing the pantry, but also the difference we can make in partnership with other players in the supply chain”, adds Christophe Rabatel CEO of Carrefour Italia.
Kellogg, NaviLens code on the pack for more accessible information