Majid Al Futtaim taps IBM Food Trust across Carrefour stores
Majid Al Futtaim, which owns and operates shopping malls, retail, and leisure establishments in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, has joined IBM Food Trust, a blockchain-enabled initiative run on IBM Cloud.
As a result, Carrefour UAE, which the aforementioned company owns and operates, will, according to a press release, become “the first retailer in the region to offer new levels of insight and transparency to its customers about the provenance of their food via end-to-end visibility on products throughout its supply chain”.
The initiative will start with Carrefour’s own fresh chicken brand and microgreens harvested from select in-store hydroponic farms, before expanding into more product lines.
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By using their smartphone to scan a QR code on products, customers will be able to get immediate access to supply chain data.
The history of the product, including production process, halal and hygiene certifications, date of birth, nutrition information and temperature data, will be available once uploaded onto the blockchain.
"Trust in the food supply is becoming increasingly important worldwide, a trend accelerated by changing consumer demands and the subsequent health and wellbeing concerns arising from the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Hani Weiss, CEO at Majid Al Futtaim Retail.
“It is therefore imperative for us to invest in ensuring quality throughout the value chain while simultaneously working to build robust customer trust and loyalty.”
“In meeting the new market expectations, we are now offering enhanced food traceability for our valued Carrefour customers and improved operational efficiency for our business."
Majid Al Futtaim says that it is engaging with supplier partners to enable broader participation in the initiative, before introducing it to other Carrefour markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
