Food lovers now have a legitimate reason to be on their smartphones when dining out.
Several Vancouver restaurants have added QR codes to their menus to promote transparent food practices — so that information such as where your food came from and how it was grown is just a scan away.
The code takes you to Foodtree, a social media platform where information about businesses and food producers are profiled and regularly updated. Users can also share pictures and insights.
Vancouver-based Foodtree co-founder Derek Shanahan is convinced that transparency and reliable information are important not only for foodies but for everyone in the community, because food is in our collective interest.
“The more people understand their food — where it’s from, who’s responsible for it and how it’s treated — the more power consumers have to make informed decisions,” he said. “We are trying to change the idea that food is a commodity and to connect people who are eating the food with those producing the food.”
Avelino Santos, assistant manager of Bishop’s, said it’s a great idea for customers to have access to information about their food because it creates a deeper connection.
“It tells a story,” he said. “I dine out, too, and it’s great when you see that ingredients are local.”
There are some 10,000 profiles on Foodtree, with more than 150 claimed by businesses. Restaurants that have put the QR code on their menus include Bishop’s, Nicli Pizzeria, Refuel, Campagnolo Roma, Relish Gastropub and Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company.
Foodtree is also available as an app for iPhones.
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