IBM has announced a blockchain agreement with some of the biggest names in FMCG, including Dole, Driscoll’s, Golden State Foods, Kroger, McCormick and Company, McLane Company, Nestlé, Tyson Foods, Unilever and Walmart, aimed at strengthening consumer confidence in the global food system.
In a statement, IBM said that the creation of a blockchain environment, in which companies can work collaboratively, enables participating companies to 'trace contaminated product to its source in a short amount of time to ensure safe removal from store shelves and stem the spread of illnesses'.
In this way, blockchain technology can be used to improve food traceability by providing trusted information on the origin and state of food.
Transformational
“Unlike any technology before it, blockchain is transforming the way like-minded organisations come together and enabling a new level of trust based on a single view of the truth,” said Marie Wieck, general manager, IBM Blockchain.
“Our work with organisations across the food ecosystem, as well as IBM’s new platform, will further unleash the vast potential of this exciting technology, making it faster for organisations of all sizes and in all industries to move from concept to production, to improve the way business gets done.”
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Sign up for a subscription to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
