Scan Parties

Scan Party

Blogpost: How to organize a scan party:

• French: https://blog.openfoodfacts.org/fr/news/organisez-une-scan-party-emballages
• English: https://blog.openfoodfacts.org/en/news/organise-a-scan-party-participative-workshop

What is a Scan Party?

A Scan Party is a collaborative event where a group of people gather to scan the barcodes of food products using their smartphones. The scanned data, including product name, brand, ingredients, nutritional information, and even packaging details, are then uploaded to Open Food Facts, a free, open-source database of food products from around the world.

Purpose of Scan Parties

• Enrich Open Food Facts: Scan Parties help to expand and enhance the database, making it more comprehensive and useful for consumers, researchers, and developers.
• Empower Consumers: By contributing to Open Food Facts, participants help to provide accurate and transparent information about food products, enabling consumers to make informed choices about what they eat.
• Promote Collaboration: Scan Parties foster a sense of community and shared purpose among participants, encouraging them to work together to improve the food system.
• Raise Awareness: These events serve as a platform to raise awareness about the importance of open data and its role in promoting transparency and sustainability in the food industry.

How Scan Parties Work

1. Gather: Participants meet at a designated location, often a supermarket, grocery store, or community center.
2. Scan: Using the Open Food Facts app on their smartphones, participants scan the barcodes of food products.
3. Upload: The scanned data is automatically uploaded to Open Food Facts, where it is reviewed and validated by other contributors.
4. Collaborate: Participants can discuss the scanned products, share their knowledge, and learn from each other.

Benefits of Participating in Scan Parties

• Contribute to a Global Project: Make a meaningful contribution to a project that benefits people all over the world.
• Learn about Food: Gain a deeper understanding of food products, ingredients, and nutritional information.
• Meet Like-minded People: Connect with others who share your passion for food and open data.
• Have Fun: Enjoy a social and engaging experience while contributing to a good cause.

Open Food Facts and Scan Parties

Open Food Facts relies heavily on the contributions of volunteers to collect and maintain its data. Scan Parties play a crucial role in this effort, enabling the database to grow rapidly and remain up-to-date. By participating in Scan Parties, individuals can directly contribute to the success of Open Food Facts and help to promote a more transparent and sustainable food system.

Conclusion

Scan Parties are a fun and effective way to contribute to Open Food Facts and make a positive impact on the food system. Whether you're a seasoned contributor or new to the world of open data, Scan Parties offer a welcoming and engaging environment to learn, collaborate, and make a difference.

Past Scan Parties

2024 Guyana Cayenne scan party

• https://blog.openfoodfacts.org/fr/news/une-scan-party-a-cayenne

Chinese food store in Lyon, France in June 2015

• Impromptu scan party in a Chinese food store in Lyon, France in June 2015

1st Open Food Facts association general assembly in Paris - June 20th 2015

• Scanning products at the 1st Open Food Facts association general assembly in Paris - June 20th 2015

2016 Franprix scan party

• https://annuel.framapad.org/p/OFF_Scanparty_Franprix_Mai_2016

2014 Paris Scan Party

• https://blog.openfoodfacts.org/fr/news/vous-etes-libres-ce-soir-scan-party-le-22-mai-a-paris

2023 Coop store scan party organized by Gala

https://blog.openfoodfacts.org/fr/news/scan-party-dans-un-supermarche-cooperatif-les-400-coop

Get in touch

Slack channel #scanparty

Slack channel #scanparty_fr

Website

http://scan.party/