麻豆传媒映画

On any given day you might find 麻豆传媒映画's Zora Heneghan wandering the aisles of a grocery store, looking at everything on the shelves.

The fourth-year political science, food studies and Weber Honors College student isn鈥檛 shopping: she鈥檚 scoping out QR codes on food packaging and scanning them to determine what information is presented to consumers. 

This work is tied to her research about the current transformation in the food and beverage industry due to the transition from using only traditional UPC barcodes (鈥渙ne-dimensional鈥� in industry lingo)  to the more modern introduction of QR codes (鈥渢wo-dimensional鈥�). These increasingly ubiquitous square patterns are capable of connecting consumers to expanded digital information about nutrition, allergens, sourcing, traceability, and food safety.

In California State University's , Heneghan鈥檚 mentor in her NEXTGEN Student Fellowship is Keavy McFadden, assistant professor of geography, and principal investigator on the research project. The program has funded more than 400 research fellows in its five-year, $9.5 million grant; Heneghan is part of its fourth cohort. 

鈥淭his merging of worlds 鈥� it's the love of food, and then this passion for making sure that we're using technology properly 鈥� it feels like it's coming together,鈥� Heneghan said. 鈥淚've found that research is a newfound love for me.鈥�

Drawing on her CAL background and perspective in food studies and political science, Heneghan is looking beyond just the technical dimensions of the barcode technology to ask how companies actually decide what information to provide, which organizational priorities and constraints shape those decisions, and how this transition may reshape relationships among manufacturers, retailers, technology providers, and consumers.

On the Happy Hens Truly Outdoors egg carton QR code, for instance, the consumer is presented with details about what the hens eat, how they roam the pasture, and why the eggs are certified organic, along with an invitation to visit the company鈥檚 regenerative farm in Ramona.

鈥淲ith these questions in mind, the research will help us better understand the potential for new digital food labeling technology to expand consumer access and transparency, but also the risk that they may reproduce existing inequities and limitations in access to food information,鈥� McFadden said. 

鈥淏ecause the transition is still unfolding, the project also has the potential to inform future consumer education, policy discussions, and industry practices concerning digital labeling and food-system transparency.鈥�

For the next year, Heneghan will conduct 10 to 15 interviews with food and beverage companies to ascertain their plans tied to, an industry-led initiative of the GS1 organization, which is a nonprofit working with industries across the U.S. to standardize and improve data sharing through product codes.

The goal of Sunrise 2027 is to encourage the use of 2D barcodes by manufacturers, and ensure that retailers are capable of processing them by the end of 2027. After transcription and analysis of the data, Heneghan plans to complete a formal report and submit a manuscript on the research by her graduation date next year.

鈥淪he will also learn to navigate an emerging research topic in which the answers are not predetermined, a process requiring intellectual curiosity, adaptability, professional judgment, and independent problem-solving,鈥� McFadden said. 

Working with McFadden has opened doors to qualitative research and given Heneghan a chance to own the project to prepare for future academic, professional, and public-facing work.

鈥淚n everything I do, Keavy says, 鈥楾his is a great start! Let me show you ten ways we can do it better,鈥欌�� Heneghan said.

鈥淩esearch can be interesting and fun, and a way to build connections between people,鈥� Heneghan added. 鈥淚t doesn't have to be a bunch of statistics 鈥� it's just asking why, repeatedly.鈥�