Fake steaks to be exposed by invisible barcode scannable on smartphones

An “invisible barcode” which can be sprayed onto joints of meat and scanned by consumers using a smartphone will thwart future food fraud, scientists have claimed. The accountancy firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC) is developing an edible signature with an agent used in spices and powdered milk that promises to reveal how the animal was raised, what it ate and where it was processed. The new electronic etching procedure is due to be launched in Australia and China within the next 12 months.