Source:Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 8/23/17


IBM Corp. said it will work with food producers and retail chains to identify new opportunities to use blockchain technology to advance food safety in the global supply chain.

The partnership – which include Tyson Foods, Nestle, Unilever, Kroger Co. and Walmart Inc. – expects to prioritize new areas where blockchain can benefit food ecosystems, according to a news release from the Armonk, N.Y.-based tech giant. 

Blockchain allows for permissioned access to data on the origin and state of food and food-related transactions throughout the food supply chain, from growers to suppliers, processors, distributors, retailers and regulators. The goal is to speed up identifying the precise point of food contamination in the wake of an outbreak of foodborne illnesses.

IBM plans to introduce a new blockchain platform that builds on its current services, utilizing the input from its new partners. The new integrated platform allows multiple parties to jointly develop, govern, operate and secure blockchain networks and to help accelerate adoption of such concepts, IBM added.

IBM and Walmart recently demonstrated a blockchain trial in China and the United States that was used to track a product from the farm through every stage of the supply chain to the retail shelf in seconds instead of days or weeks.

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