Majid Al Futtaim taps IBM blockchain for food traceability at Carrefour stores

Majid Al Futtaim taps IBM blockchain for food traceability at Carrefour stores

Carrefour will use blockchain to enable food traceability across the supply chain.

Majid Al Futtaim, which holds the Carrefour franchise for the Middle East, Asia and Africa, will leverage IBM Food Trust, a blockchain-enabled platform for the food industry run on IBM Cloud.

The initiative will start with two initial products categories, Carrefour's fresh chicken brand and microgreens harvested from select in-store hydroponic farms, before expanding into more product lines.

Customers will be able to get immediate access to food supply chain data, from farm to store shelf by scanning a QR code on participating products. The history of the product, including production process, halal and hygiene certifications, date of birth, nutrition information and temperature data, will be immediately available once uploaded onto the blockchain.

Almost two-thirds (73 per cent) of respondents to a survey conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) said traceability of products is important to them. Of those who said it was very important, 71 per cent of respondents indicated they are willing to pay a premium for brands that provide it.

"Trust in the food supply is becoming increasingly important worldwide, a trend accelerated by changing consumer demands and the subsequent health and wellbeing concerns