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No. 01 · Fellowship project · App concept

Clean Greens

Creative X Fellowship Project

A shopping app concept that decodes produce labels and PLU codes, checks items against active recalls, and turns food-safety information into simple next steps while you shop.

Design brief & prototype
View the Figma file ↗

01

Overview

Clean Greens (working name) is an app concept from the Creative X Fellowship. It helps grocery shoppers understand the produce they are buying by decoding labels and PLU codes in seconds, checking available product information against active recalls, sharing research-backed pesticide information, giving customized washing guidance, and mapping nearby farm stands.

02

The problem

Grocery shoppers face health risks from contaminated or pesticide-heavy produce because raw fruits and vegetables lack clear safety information at the point of sale.

03

Background

  • The FDA is expanding traceability requirements for certain higher-risk foods so contaminated products are easier to identify and remove.
  • Interest in organic produce and food transparency is strong: produce made up 33% of U.S. organic food sales in 2024.
  • Information about recalls, pesticide monitoring, origin, labeling and safe handling is still spread across government databases, grocery labels and other resources, not one consumer-friendly place.
  • PLU codes identify the type of produce and organic vs. conventional, but not whether a specific item is contaminated or how much pesticide residue it carries.

04

Audience & persona

Ages 18 to 65+: health-conscious college students, young adults shopping independently for the first time, parents, and immune-compromised individuals. The persona is Maya, 24, a post-grad shopping for groceries on her own for the first time. She wants to eat clean and reduce pesticide exposure without paying double for organic every time, or researching for hours.

05

Pain points

  • Vague PLU codes: few shoppers know what #4011 vs. #94011 means while standing in line.
  • Delayed recall alerts: learning about an E. coli or Listeria outbreak on the news after already eating the produce.
  • Misleading marketing: labels like “All Natural” suggest conventional produce is pesticide-free.
  • Zero actionable steps: scanners flag food as “bad” without washing tips or clean local alternatives.
  • Manual research: piecing food safety together from separate websites.

06

Research insights

Produce-related outbreaks are still happening. The 2026 iceberg lettuce outbreak (Cyclospora) caused 12,883 reported illnesses across 21 states, with 570+ hospitalizations and 2 deaths. A jalapeño Salmonella outbreak made 488 people ill across 34 states, and alfalfa and broccoli sprout investigations were open as well.

  • Recalls depend on identifiers beyond the PLU, such as grower, distributor, brand, lot and best-by date, so the app should support multiple identifiers and say clearly what each scan can and cannot tell you.
  • Recalled frozen blueberries carry best-by dates into 2028, so recall information stays useful long after an outbreak ends.
  • The opportunity is consolidating and translating existing FDA, CDC, USDA and EPA information, not creating new safety data.

07

Unmet needs

  • Instant information, without researching multiple websites.
  • Convenience: answers in the grocery aisle, not after the purchase.
  • Local alternatives: nearby farms, farm stands and co-ops.

08

Opportunity

A shopper scans an available identifier (PLU, barcode, QR code or lot/batch information) and Clean Greens surfaces what is known for that item: label explanations, recall matches when there is enough traceability information, origin information when available, and produce-specific safety guidance. The biggest opportunity is helping people understand what the information means and what to do next.

09

Success criteria & risks

  • Users can check an item's recall and safety information in under 5 seconds.
  • Users understand the result without searching for more information.
  • Users can easily identify what action to take.
  • Risks to design around: data accuracy, overpromising safety, PLU limitations and feature overload.

010

Design & prototype

The full prototype and design system live in Figma.

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