In shops now: CSR on a barcode

A mobile phone application allowing consumers to check the corporate responsibility credentials of products while they shop has been introduced in the UK and France.

Barcoo, a free application giving users immediate information on price, nutrition and sustainability, is available on a range of phones including iPhone, Nokia and Samsung handsets. Accessibility on other platforms is planned.

CSR information is presented alongside price comparisons and user reviews as a ‘traffic light’ system across various categories, so that a company can, for instance, receive a green light for its carbon footprint but a red light for its treatment of staff.

Barcoo, which assembles data from various sources, including company statements, studies, and user feedback, was originally available only in Germany, where it has more than a million users, but can now be used in the UK and France.

However, many companies have criticized Barcoo. Some question the credibility of its information and others are said to be seeking ways of jamming the use of the application.