These barcodes are designed to help restaurant patrons to check a location’s kosher status.
In Israel, Tel Aviv’s Chief Rabbinate has gone high tech by choosing to use QR codes to help restaurants to be able to show their kosher status, which can then be verified by consumers through the use of their smartphones.
These barcodes will be printed on the kashrut certificates that the restaurants can display.
This allows a consumer who is considering eating at a restaurant to be able to scan the QR codes that have been displayed on the certificate, so that they can be sure that the location is compliant with the level of kosher observance that they want or require for their meals. This is meant to help provide consumers with the answers that they require in a very fast, easy, effective, and convenient way.
The QR code scans will allow the consumer to see specifically what level of kosher is observed.
Consumers in the city will be able to scan the QR codes to see the name and address of the restaurant, and then learn more information. For instance, it will show whether the restaurant is kosher, or if it observes the stricter mehadrin (glatt) level. It will also share the dairy, meat, or parve status that the restaurant observes and will display the kashrut certificate date for both its issuance as well as its expiry.
The QR codes will also provide the consumer with a phone number that will allow them to obtain even more information. That number will allow them to connect with the restaurant’s rav hamachshir, or the kashrut supervisor (mashgiach).
In addition to the QR codes, the Chief Rabbinate of Tel Aviv has also appealed to smartphone using consumers by releasing an app. This application is meant to allow the consumers to be able to read the scans which are called Bodek Kashrut. This is only the latest move to use the barcodes and mobile technology to help to better educate consumers and provide them with the relevant information that they require in order to shop with confidence and knowledge.
