Food Traceability using the Vottun Protocol

The consumer trust for food products is really very low, as many of them believe and have tasted food that were substandard. Food security, which is sometimes low especially in developing countries, is very important. Many countries have strict food traceability regulations and abide by them, while some other countries do not have strict regulations in place. Food contamination occurs at a very alarming rate and consumers are generally unsafe.

Food Fraud, according to the Food Safety Net Services (FSNC) is the act of purposely altering, mislabeling, misrepresenting, substituting or tampering with any food product at any point along the farm-to-table food supply chain. This practice has become very rampant and consumers are left at the mercy of farmers, wholesalers, and retailers.

The Vottun protocol via blockchain technology, however, can make a difference as it gives the consumers the assurance that the food has been scrutinized and is of high quality. The Vottun protocol issues certificates at each step of the food supply chain that shows that a food product has undergone the necessary scrutiny at each step of the process and is fit for consumption.

As a practical example, the food that comes from the farm, shipped by freight to warehouses that in turn is distributed to retailers can be checked for its quality and safety on the blockchain. When these food items are processed at each step of the supply chain, unique certificates are created and linked to that product.  This certifies each step of the process as valid by the partners in the network.  The certificates are timestamped and stored on the Ethereum network by Vottun and can be retrieved and verified by the product QR code or barcode. Even when foods are placed on the shelves, consumers can easily check if the food items they are buying is fit for consumption by checking if these certificates are authentic or not. The certificates stored in the blockchain are fraud-free.