vegetables

35Vegetables Australia July/August 2015consumers and buildingconsumer affinity throughculturally inspired packaging.“Extended product shelflife and freshness reinforceAustralia’s association withquality produce, especiallyin Asian markets, most ofwhich have a positive view ofAustralian grown produce,” MrMadhavan said.Food safety is paramountTechnology can also play animportant role in reassuringwary consumers of food safety,particularly in the wake ofsuspected or actual food scares.As a result, food traceabilityas an assurance of food safetyis a major issue. QR codes,although originally developedfor non-food promotional codes,have subsequently been widelyinstalled on vegetable packagingto provide a greater degree ofquality assurance, as consumerscan obtain more informationabout the products beforepurchase.Today’s consumer isincreasingly informed, healthconsciousand concernedabout their environmentalfootprint. Recognising this willundoubtedly benefit Australia’svegetable growers, particularlyas consumers across Asia aresteadily shifting their buyinghabits from traditional wetmarkets to organised, modernretailing. As the researchfindings reinforce, this willultimately allow Australiangrowers to differentiatethemselves from lower-priced,locally grown Asian produce.A full project report willbe made available on theInfoVeg website: www.ausveg.com.au/infoveg.This initiative was fundedby Horticulture InnovationAustralia Limited (HIA) usingthe National Vegetable Levyand funds from the AustralianGovernment.Project Number: VG13080