Re: Emoji characters for food allergens

[William_J_G Overington]

Hi Marcel
> Alternately, scanning the EAN barcode on the package could give access to a 
> database intended for food information. This requires the use of a smartphone 
> or other compatible device.
That is a good idea.
In which case the emoji would not need to be encoded on the package, yet would 
be sent by the database facility. Using EAN barcode to database and the results 
sent to the end user would need a two-way communication link and that could 
possibly mean queueing problems as the database facility would possibly be 
answering requests from many people.
Another possibility would be to encode the Unicode characters for the allergens 
contained in the food within a QR code (Quick Response Code) on the package.
Decoding could then be local, in the device being used to scan the QR code.
Both of these methods, EAN barcode and QR code, could be used to communicate 
through the language barrier, either by viewing the emoji, or by the emoji 
becoming converted to localized text in the device that is being used by the 
end user.
Best regards,
William Overington
29 July 2015