Retailers and consumer goods manufacturers are working on a project that could see customers using mobile phones to retrieve vital nutritional information about products while in store.

Standards body GS1 UK has teamed up with Carrefour, Nestlé, L'Oreal and Proctor & Gamble (P&G) to promote a common application across the sector.

If successful, consumers could use the camera on their mobile phone to scan bar codes on products to view information about allergens, authenticity and nutritional content. They will also be able to scan the contents of shopping baskets or redeem coupons as they shop.

Scanning bar codes in this way could also allow retailers to provide live data, rather than static printed information, about products.

"Global standards are going to revolutionise the way consumers and manufacturers interact in store," said Khurram Hamid, global head of mobile marketing innovation at P&G.

"The mobile phone will become an enabler to provide consumers with better information so they can make more informed purchasing decisions."

Gary Lynch, chief executive of GS1 UK, said that the technology could help people with special dietary needs, as well as allowing retailers to provide new services.

"Retailers are facing tough conditions in the present economic climate and they must find innovative ways to relate to consumers. The appetite for product information is insatiable and mobile scanning presents an opportunity for consumers to receive information tailored to their needs," he said.

"A simple scan could alert a consumer suffering from Coeliacs Disease that a product contains gluten, and a consumer who is worried about whether a product in their fridge is affected by a contamination scare could put their mind at rest."