UK-based supermarket chain Marks & Spencer (M&S) plans to use new laser tattooing technology to label its fruits in place of traditional paper-based labels.
M&S has signed an agreement with Spanish company Laser Food to trial the technology initially on oranges, which is expected to start in the next few weeks.
The supermarket chain intends to introduce PoS to explain the new technology to shoppers, once the trial starts.
The technology, which uses a laser and colored liquid to mark logos as well as use-by dates on the skin without damaging the product inside, will be launched at various other branches soon.
M&S will also use the technology to add labels and QR codes on to the fruit's skin.
If the orange trial proves successful, M&S plans to use the technology even on soft fruit such as tomatoes.
M&S senior agronomist Andrew Mellonie said, "Often fresh produce is stickered, which can be difficult to remove, plus there can be design changes, so growers can be left with stickers they can't use."
The technology is already in use in Russia, Poland, France and Spain.
