A group of producers is working with Norwegian technology firm Thinfilm to fight counterfeits in the extra virgin olive oil sector.
They have been embedding tiny chips that can communicate with smartphones behind the labels on bottles of the oil, according to The Guardian.
Using the iOlive app, buyers can see where the olives in the oil in front of them were grown and bottled –unless of course the original oil has been poured out and replaced.
“Italy’s olive oil industry has had many fraud scandals,” Thinfilm CEO Davor Sutija said.
“The damage caused by the deceit has been tremendous, not only to the industry and brands but to consumer trust.
“We are very excited to deliver our NFC tags to Tuscany and help brands in this prestigious region protect customers, educate consumers, and grow their businesses.
“Professional tasters use our platform to digitally capture their evaluations, including sensory analysis, and consumers are able to view that information through the iOlive app.
"The SpeedTap tags make accessing the data simple, instantaneous and seamless.”
