Switzerland-based food giant Nestlé, French supermarket chain Carrefour and IBM have partnered to use the latter’s blockchain technology to track a famous French convenience food, the companies announced in a press release on April 15. Nestlé and Carrefour, both of which are members of IBM’s Food Trust blockchain platform, will use the technology from today to track the supply chain of Mousline, a well-known brand of instant mashed potatoes. Once it rolls out, shoppers will be able to scan a QR code with their smartphones to know exactly where the potatoes in a specific packet came from, as well as their journey to the specific Carrefour store. “Using the QR code on the product’s packaging, each consumer will be able to use a secure platform on their smartphone to access information on the production supply chain, including the varieties of potato used, the dates and places of manufacture, information on quality control, and places and dates of storage before the product reaches the shelves,” the press release confirms. The announcement comes just days after United States supermarket chain Albertsons said it was using Food Trust to track one of its products — iceberg lettuce — with the potential for more to follow. Worldwide, around five million different food items already employ blockchain in their supply chain in some form as the industry niche grows. “This partnership is based on the shared values of each company to bring consumers greater transparency in the food sector,” Carrefour continued in the press release. The firm added: “By simply scanning a product using a smartphone, consumers will receive reliable and unfalsifiable information on the supply chain and production.” As Cointelegraph reported, Carrefour has itself stepped up blockchain integration in recent months by applying the technology for tracking milk.
Nestle and Carrefour are partnering up to use IBM's blockchain for tracking the history of mashed potato from farm to shelf. Customers will be able to scan a QR code on Mousline's instant mashed potato packets to discover the product's origin and its journey to a specific store. It is hoped using blockchain in the supply chain process will boost product transparency as well as educate consumers about their purchases.