Abstract
In today’s highly connected world, where products are easily accessible, there is a growing
need for systems that empower consumers with the necessary tools to identify misrepresented
products. Using sub-standard ingredients in the production of sanitary towels can pose a
significant health risk to the consumer, and informal retailers, like Spaza-shops, have been
accused of selling counterfeit food products to unsuspecting customers. This dissertation
proposes the development of a system, utilizing the Design Science Research approach, that
enables consumers to scan a QR code printed on the product. The system, built into an
Android application, applies the RSA public key encryption algorithm to secure the data
before encoding it into the QR code. The proposed system is responsible for updating the
location data of previous scans on a dedicated cloud database. If a unique product batch
number is scanned outside of the expected area, a warning is given to the customer and
relevant authorities.