Saudi Arabia Empowers Consumers to Trace Food and Beverage Origins

The SFDA harnessed blockchain to trace food and beverage origins. They collaborated with DGA and conducted a Proof of Concept experiment. The goal was to explore innovative blockchain applications.

This aligns with Saudi’s commitment to promoting digital transformation and advancing the nation’s digital economy. Tracing food origins ensures product quality, and safety, and promotes transparency, accountability, and informed purchasing.

Comprehensive Trace Food and Beverage Origins

The primary focus of the experiment was to track a product’s journey from its origin, starting at the farm, and following it through the supply chain until it reaches the point of sale. This comprehensive process will provide consumers with detailed information about the product’s journey, as well as the various entities involved in the supply chain, including the farm, slaughterhouse, and retailer. Ultimately, this service aims to be completely transparent and accessible to the end consumer.

Related: Saudi Arabia’s Healthy Food Strategy

 Unalterable and Secure Record-Keeping with Blockchain

Blockchain technology ensures unalterable decentralized record-keeping systems. The experiment tracks essential supply chain partner information, such as Halal certificates. The certificate is monitored and verified throughout the meat supply chain using non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Enhancing Transparency and Trust

These advanced records enhance transparency, fostering increased trust between supply chain entities and consumers. This development aligns with the global halal products market, which is experiencing significant growth. Additionally, it presents an opportunity for local companies to access global markets, armed with a competitive advantage in the form of a Halal certificate approved by the Saudi Halal Center, presented as an unalterable NFT.

Related: How the Food and Beverage Industry Can Promote Animal Welfare

Wide-ranging Applications of Blockchain Technology

The integration of blockchain technology in this context contributes to verifying a product’s halal status, reinforcing transparency, and supporting the growth of local companies. Blockchain technology, a relatively new innovation, has a wide range of applications across various sectors, including government services.

A Groundbreaking Global Initiative

This groundbreaking experiment is among the first of its kind globally, applying product tracking using blockchain technology issued by a government agency. The SFDA has outlined the initial steps for consumers to access the blockchain tracking service. By scanning a product’s barcode, consumers can access historical data about the product, starting from the producing farm. Subsequently, information about the slaughterhouse and Halal certificate becomes available for review. Finally, data about the distributor and retailer is displayed, including the date and time of the product’s arrival at the point of sale.