Swedish supermarket tests lasers to label organic produce
MALMO, Sweden — Something high-tech is happening in the produce aisle at some Swedish supermarkets, where laser marks have replaced labels on the organic avocados and sweet potatoes.
Swedish supermarket chain ICA started experimenting in December with “natural branding,” a process that uses low-energy carbon dioxide lasers to remove the pigment from the outer skins of fruits and vegetables.
The laser beams create tattoo-like patterns — in this case the product’s name, country of origin and code number — similar to the way hot irons brand cattle. If its test is successful, ICA, which has 1,350 stores across Sweden, hopes to cut down on the stickers and packaging it now uses to identify its organic produce.
“It’s a new technique, and we are searching for a smarter way of branding our products due to the fact that we think we have too much unnecessary plastic material or packaging material on our products,” Peter Hagg, the chain’s senior manager for fruits and vegetables, said.