Work In Progress
Progressive Grocer|April 2019

Don’t expect a food safety silver bullet anytime soon as the grocery industry continues to work through blockchain’s potential and limitations.

Jenny McTaggart
Work In Progress

May 15, 2019 9:03:05 AM org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.font.PDTrueTypeFont WARNING: Using fallback font 'LiberationSans' for 'Bodoni-Poster'

Blockchain is an emerging technology that holds exciting promise for the future of food safety. Consider these major industry headlines from the second half of 2018:

• Software giant SAP began piloting its SAP Cloud Platform Blockchain with farm-toconsumer produce suppliers, including Naturipe Farms, Johnsonville LLC and Maple Leaf Foods.

• The IBM Food Trust blockchain solution became generally available to the industry after 18 months in testing.

• Walmart announced that all of its leafy-greens suppliers must sign on to the technology in a year’s time to prevent further outbreaks (and then Walmart’s VP of food safety, Frank Yiannas, joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine, seemingly to help boost better traceability efforts in the country).

There’s no doubt that blockchain would help improve traceability, and hopefully one day make a sizable dent in serious foodborne illness cases like the e. coli-tainted romaine lettuce outbreaks of 2018. But one blockchain and supply chain expert notes that beyond all of the hype, a lot of work needs to be done to find a viable, full-scale business solution that would work for the entire industry.

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