Kellogg adds NaviLens technology on cereal packaging to help visually impaired customers

US – Food manufacturing company Kellogg has incorporated NaviLens technology to improve the shopping experience for its visually impaired customers.

The company has incorporated NaviLens technology into the packaging of its Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Special K Original, Rice Krispies and Crispix cereal brands.

According to Kellogg, NaviLens’ optical smart code, consisting of high-contrast, multicolored squares on a black background, will feature on the front and side of these brands’ packaging.

Consumers can use this function to locate the boxes from several feet away, navigate to them, and hear their names, package sizes, and nutritional information in up to 36 languages.

Charisse Hughes, chief brand and advanced analytics officer at Kellogg, said: “The heart of Kellogg’s Better Days Promise ESG strategy is the advancement of sustainable and equitable access to food.

“We work hard to think outside the box to ensure our products are accessible to as many people as possible.

“Thanks to the hard work of our cross-functional teams, we’re able to adapt and leverage this technology to ensure we’re living by our purpose – to create a place at the table for everyone.”

In addition to the cereal packaging, Kellogg has committed to incorporating NaviLens codes in all corporate facilities in the U.S. by the end of 2023, to make them more accessible and easier to navigate for blind and low-vision employees.

This initiative came about through a partnership between Kellogg’s Ready-To-Eat-Cereal business unit and Kapable, the company’s employee resource group that focuses on inclusion for employees with disabilities.

Kellogg’s decision to incorporate NaviLens comes at a time when many packaging companies are finding innovations to ease the shopping experience for visually impaired customers.

In October this year, Italian family-owned food company Barilla added QR codes to the packaging of its classic pasta product offerings to increase the accessibility of Barilla’s products.

Developed in partnership with Be My Eyes, the new QR codes were rolled out starting in October on boxes of Barilla Classic Penne, Spaghetti, Farfalle, Rotini, Rigatoni, Tri-Color Rotini, Thin Spaghetti, Fettuccini, Angel Hair and Linguine.

In addition, the codes allow customers to request any visual information, including information on pasta cuts, recipes, cooking instructions, expiration dates or other visual details.

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