Nestlé has announced that it will launch a pilot project in association with OpenSC to implement open blockchain technology for tracing the origin of its products.
OpenSC is a blockchain-based food-tracking platform developed by WWF-Australia and the Boston Consulting Group Digital Ventures.
The global head of responsible sourcing at Nestlé S.A, Benjamin Ware, said, “We believe it is another important step towards the full disclosure of our supply chains announced by Nestlé in February this year, raising the bar for transparency and responsible production globally.
“This open blockchain technology will allow anyone, anywhere in the world, to assess [sic] our responsible-sourcing facts and figures,” Ware added.
The Pilot
The test project will be implemented to trace the journey of milk from farms and producers in New Zealand to Nestlé factories and warehouses in the Middle East.
In the next phase, the food and beverage giant will test the technology on palm oil sourced in the Americas.
These pilots will allow Nestlé to understand the scalability of the system.
‘Informed Decision’
Magdi Batato, executive vice-president and head of operations at Nestlé S.A., said,“We want our consumers to make an informed decision on their choice of products – to choose products produced responsibly.
“Open blockchain technology might allow us to share reliable information with consumers in an accessible way,” Batato added.
Nestlé began testing blockchain technology in 2017, in association with IBM Food Trust.
In April of this year, it gave consumers access to blockchain data for the first time for the Mousline mashed-potato brand in France.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
