Cermaq, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi, based in Norway, plans to utilize the blockchain to improve the traceability of its salmon. The salmon will be sold in France and users will be able to find out the source of their purchases by scanning a QR code. This announcement was made via a press release.
How the Process Will Work
When buyers scan the QR code, they will receive various details about their salmon. For instance, they will learn about how it was farmed, its size upon release into seawater, and the location of the fish farm. Other information that customers will be able to access includes the health and welfare of the fish. This will include the diet the salmon was fed as well as any vaccines it might have received. The project will first be rolled out in the French market.
The company will utilize the IBM Food Trust ledger, instead of using a public ledger, to store and manage the information. This is a special blockchain-based platform that was developed by IBM for the food industry to make it easier to track the sources of food products. The platform is based on the open-source Hyperledger Fabric that was created by the Linux Foundation.
According to the Cermaq CEO, this project is going to help to reassure French customers that the salmon they purchase was sourced safely and sustainably. Besides that, they will also be able to verify that it is nutritious and sourced from the pristine waters of the North Atlantic. This project is being undertaken in collaboration with Labeyrie, which is a leading smoked salmon brand in France. With this project, Labeyrie now has two Norwegian salmon products that can be traced using blockchain technology.
Why it Matters
There has been a growing awareness and interest amongst consumers about the origin of food products. Besides that, there has been growing concern about the safety of food products and whether they have been sourced sustainably. To access the information, users will need a smart device as well as download a dedicated app that will show them all the details they need to know about a product.
About the IBM Food Trust Ledger
IBM Food Trust is a permissioned blockchain that is designed to create a smart and safe food supply chain. It offers numerous benefits such as increased efficiency of the supply chain, elimination of fraud in the supply chain, reduced wastage, and increased brand trust. It allows participants in the food supply chain to create permanent and shareable records of the food supply chain.
Various companies have already signed up for the project. One of the largest companies to join the project is Carrefour, the French retailer. The company recently announced that it would use the IBM Food Trust platform to enhance the traceability of baby formula.
The realization that the current system of food traceability was inadequate was first made in 2008, in what came to be known as the Chinese milk scandal.
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