This is a really, really great idea, and hopefully it will become part of the way we eat; I just wished a fast-food joint hadn’t come up with the idea first.

McDonald’s restaurants in Australia are testing out a free iPhone app that lets consumers know EXACTLY where the food they’re about to eat comes from.

But really, don’t you think that if you’re seriously concerned about what you eat and where it comes from, you wouldn’t be eating at at McDonald’s? I’m just saying.

The App is called “TrackMyMacca’s” (the Aussie nickname for McDonald’s). It uses GPS tracking, food packaging codes and image activation software to cross-reference with McDonald’s supply-chain data.

The App then lets diners know which farm, bakery, ranch, or food plant the ingredients originated. It even provides the name and a photo of the farmer, fisherman or rancher.

If a diner just wants to know about a specific ingredient, say, the hamburger buns, they can ask for specific details. The App gives them information like “Fresh buns are the building blocks of a good burger. That’s why our Martin Place restaurant could have up to three deliveries a week. You’ll find our bakers at the Fresh Start Bakery, not far away in Liverpool, New South Wales.”

Okay, I admit this is great marketing, which McDonald’s has been known for since the beginning of time. Still, at least the company is recognizing that more of us want to know WHERE OUR FOOD COMES FROM! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is ultimately good business.

Here’s a look at a YouTube video demonstrating the App. Let me know what you think: