Nestle, Carrefour Extend Blockchain Tracking Effort to Baby Milk

Nestle and Carrefour are using IBM's Food Trust blockchain platform to track organic baby milk products "from dairy to shelf."

AccessTimeIconNov 15, 2019 at 2:20 p.m. UTC
Updated Sep 13, 2021 at 11:42 a.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Nothing is more important to new parents than the safety of their infants, and food giants Nestle and Carrefour aim to use blockchain to help appease that instinct.

Following on from a previous food tracking effort by the two companies, based on IBM's Food Trust platform, Nestle and Carrefour will track baby milk products and provide consumers with data on their origins and movements "from dairy to shelf."

Specifically, the GUIGOZ Bio 2 and 3 infant milk range will be traced on the blockchain platform as a means to provide consumers with more information on the milks origins and transparency on product checks, Carrefour said in an announcement on Thursday. Customers will be able to scan a QR code on the milk's packaging to access a range of information.

"Blockchain technology enhances transparency and advances the food transition for extremely high-quality products, which parents expect for infant nutrition. For Nestle and Laboratoires Guigoz, this innovative blockchain technology creates a new benchmark for transparency and the high standards of care required to ensure the quality of their products," the firm said.

While such schemes may have an element of marketing, there's no doubt that breakdowns in food safety – such as China's melamine-adulterated milk scandal and the more recently reported Polish distribution of diseased meat – have raised concerns over what we are being fed.

Other major firms – like Cargill and Walmart – have moved to utilize blockchain tech ease those concerns, in theory, providing consumers with immutable proof that their food comes from where it's supposed to and hasn't been adulterated along the way.

Back in February, French President Emmanuel Macron called for increased use of data technologies such as blockchain in the EU, in part to address concerns over food traceability.

Father feeding baby image via Shutterstock

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.