Food and beverage company Nestlé has been shortlisted for the IDC Digital Transformation Awards for its blockchain supply chain project.
The Swiss company has been working on the Chain of Origin project for full transparency of its supply chain. Describing the customer-centric approach, Nestlé has previously said it wants its consumers to make informed decisions on their choice of products. It wants them to know where the raw materials come from.
Nestlé has called this project a step towards digitization of its business which it aims to scale to other parts in the future. “While we are starting the transformation on a small scale with a new brand, we are looking to see how this could scale to other product offers. So I guess it’s more of a long term journey rather than a short term bet,” Nestlé Digital Technology Manager Armin Nehzat told Tech Wire Asia.
Food traceability has become more and more important for consumers over the last few years. Customers want to know that the ingredients are ethically and sustainably sourced. Traceability is also required to ensure food safety. It particularly helps with product recalls, enabling them to be more targeted and reducing waste.
Nestlé is one of the founding members of IBM’s Food Trust platform along with Dole, Driscoll’s, Golden State Foods, Kroger, McCormick and Company, McLane Company, Tyson Foods, Unilever and Walmart. Retailer Carrefour joined the platform last year, and a few months ago Nestlé worked with Carrefour to trace Mousline instant mash potato.
A few months ago, Nestlé announced a collaboration with OpenSC, a supply chain blockchain founded by the WWF and the Boston Consulting Group Digital Ventures. OpenSC stands for open supply chain. The vision that underpins OpenSC is WWF’s desire to radically increase sustainable food sourcing through certification.
