Free app lets consumers trace sustainability of fish

BioMar's Discover app tracks the carbon footprint and use of raw materials used in producing specific seafood products.

Spotted: Sustainable aquaculture feed supplier BioMar has released a free smartphone app aimed at tracing the supply chain for seafood products. The app, called Discover, is available for consumers to use. It was released in conjunction with BioMar’s new Sustainability Report, which provides transparency to all BioMar operations.

The Discover app allows users to scan seafood QR codes and receive data on the products, including the type of feed used, the carbon footprint of the product, seafood origin, certification, water use, and nutritional information. The data will update as the conditions, such as feed recipes and raw material, change. Norwegian salmon producers Kvarøy are the first to sign up to participate in the program.

In creating the app, BioMar developed several new digital tools, such as algorithms that could collate huge pools of data to provide up-to-date information. The app also combines with BioMar’s Eco-Efficiency tool to determine the environmental footprint of all the company’s feedstock. 

According to BioMar Sustainability Director Vidar Gunderson, the app is designed to help affect real change in the seafood industry. Using an app to help consumers make informed decisions is an idea that is growing in popularity. At Springwise, we have also seen apps that can help customers find local restaurants that share their values and that trace what brands are doing to stop forced and child labour.