Using QR codes to access food information: A behavioural study with European consumers

We conducted an online experiment with 3420 participants in Bulgaria, Germany and Spain to evaluate the consequences of digital access to food information via QR codes. Participants made incentivized choices between food products with labels that were either “paper” or “hybrid”. Only the latter type featured a QR code; scanning it was necessary to access some of the information. Presence of QR codes did not affect probability of choosing given product. As many as 37% of participants never scanned QR codes, and only 4% scanned all of them. Hybrid labels led to longer decision times and less accurate knowledge, indicating a negative impact on consumers.