Kellogg empowers blind consumers in U.S. with NaviLens technology on packaging
Kellogg is the first food company in the U.S. to introduce this accessibility feature on packaging following a successful pilot in Europe
BATTLE CREEK, Mich., Dec. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kellogg Company is changing the way the almost 12 million adults in the U.S. who are blind or have low vision* perform daily tasks, such as navigating a grocery store aisle or choosing one's cereal at breakfast. To help create a place at the table, Kellogg is incorporating innovative NaviLens technology into the packaging of four of its iconic cereal brands: Kellogg's Corn Flakes®, Special K Original®, Rice Krispies® and Crispix®.
The front and side of these cereal boxes will now feature a NaviLens optical smart code comprising high-contrast colorful squares on a black background that can be detected and read by the NaviLens and NaviLens GO apps. With the apps, consumers can locate the boxes from several feet away, navigate to them, and hear their names, package sizes, and nutritional information. The apps can communicate this information in up to 36 languages.
"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," said Charisse Hughes, chief brand and advanced analytics officer at the Kellogg Company. "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. The company has already installed codes in its global corporate headquarters in Battle Creek, Mich.
This initiative was brought to life through a partnership between Kellogg's Ready-To-Eat-Cereal business unit and Kapable, the company's business employee resource group that ensures Kellogg is a welcoming and inclusive environment for current and future employees with disabilities and their supporters.
Learn more about the people behind the development of this program in the U.S.: https://newsroom.kelloggcompany.com/NaviLens-US
Bethany Foor, a member of Kellogg's Corporate Affairs team and a co-chair of Kapable, was instrumental in the development of the program. Foor has Usher syndrome—the leading cause of deaf-blindness.
"Despite my progressive loss in vision and hearing, I have managed to build a rich, fulfilling career at Kellogg. The company lives its mission, is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion," Foor said. "I'm honored to be able to play a part in making some of Kellogg's most iconic products more accessible, and grateful for my colleagues and our leaders who are helping us create better days for the blind and those with vision loss."
Consumers across the U.S. can find NaviLens-equipped boxes of Kellogg's Corn Flakes®, Special K Original®, Rice Krispies®, and Crispix® at their preferred retailers. Learn more about the program at https://www.kelloggs.com/en_US/NaviLens.html.
*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Vision Health Initiative
At Kellogg Company (NYSE: K), our vision is a good and just world where people are not just fed but fulfilled. We are creating better days and a place at the table for everyone through our trusted food brands. Our beloved brands include Pringles®, Cheez-It®, Special K®, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes®, Pop-Tarts®, Kellogg's Corn Flakes®, Rice Krispies®, Eggo®, Mini-Wheats®, Kashi®, RXBAR®, MorningStar Farms® and more. Net sales in 2021 were nearly $14.2 billion, comprised principally of snacks as well as convenience foods like cereal, frozen foods, and noodles. As part of our Kellogg's® Better Days ESG strategy, we're addressing the interconnected issues of wellbeing, climate and food security, creating Better Days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030. Visit www.KelloggCompany.com.
NaviLens is a printed code that can be scanned, using a smartphone camera and a free app, to hear what information is stored within them. The tags are made up of high-contrasting colored squares on a black background, similar in appearance to a QR code. Unlike with QR codes, users don't need to know exactly where a tag is to be able to read it. A tag measuring 20 x 20 centimeters (7.9 x 7.9 inches) can be detected from 12 meters (40 feet) away, even in motion and without having to focus the phone's camera.
As users sweep their environment with a smartphone, audio cues allow them to find and center the tag in the phone's field of view. A shake of the wrist prompts the details contained within the tag to be read out. The information can vary depending on where the user is standing in relation to the tag and can be programmed in multiple languages, with the phone automatically selecting its native language.
NaviLens is created by Neosistec, in collaboration with the Mobile Vision Research Lab at the University of Alicante.
SOURCE Kellogg Company
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