Scan a certification number to verify low-carbon produce on the spot

Shoppers can now verify whether a produce item carries a genuine low-carbon certification — and pull up the related details — simply by pointing their smartphone camera at the certification number on the label, with no manual entry or separate search required.

The Korea Agricultural Technology Promotion Agency said Wednesday it has supplied low-carbon agricultural product certification data to a mobile app called "Low-Carbon Certification Info," developed by private software firm Everone Soft.

The app uses AI optical character recognition technology. When a consumer photographs a low-carbon certification number printed on a product, the app automatically reads the letters and digits and cross-references them against the certification database the agency provides, returning the relevant details instantly.

Consumers can therefore confirm on the spot whether the produce they intend to buy is genuinely low-carbon certified. Previously, shoppers had to manually read the certification number off the label or conduct a separate search.

Because the app relies on a camera scan rather than manual number entry, it is designed to be accessible even to consumers who are less comfortable with smartphones.

The Low-Carbon Certification Info app is currently available on Android. After installing it, users can photograph the certification number on any low-carbon certified product to retrieve the relevant information.

The agency said it expects the collaboration to improve consumer access to low-carbon certification information. It plans to expand public data releases and private-sector partnerships so that consumers can more easily check certification details going forward.

"We linked private-sector technology with the public data we provide so that consumers can verify certification status themselves when buying low-carbon certified produce," said Korea Agricultural Technology Promotion Agency Director General Lee Seok-hyeong. "We will continue to expand the release of additional high-quality public data and broaden cooperation so that consumers can check certified produce information easily and conveniently."