The supermarket chain is the first Argentinian retailer to take up the technology. It means all Huella Natural beef sold by Carrefour can be traced from the supermarket shelf back to its origins.
Argentina, 26 July 2021 – To inform its clients of the origins of its products and highlight the safety and quality of its food processes, Carrefour Argentina, the country’s leading multi-format retailer, is to integrate IBM blockchain technology in the beef sold under its Huella Natural brand.
With the launch of the new technology, shoppers can use their smartphones to scan the QR codes printed on food labels to view full information on the food’s origins and production processes. The technology will be used to track the trajectory of 16 different cuts of Huella Natural beef in over 70 Carrefour hypers and market stores located up and down the country.
The introduction of this technology makes it possible to track a product through every stage of its production and distribution, thereby guaranteeing maximum levels of food safety and transparency.
“At Carrefour it’s our mission to lead the food transition by offering more and better options for healthy eating and responsible consumption. Making it easy for our clients to access information on the provenance of our Huella Natural products is a giant step in that direction. We’re proud of our ongoing commitment to Guaranteed Quality in offering an innovative and practical shopping experience to the clients who visit us every day,” declares Candela Arias, General Secretary and Food Quality and Safety Director with Carrefour Argentina.
The 16 cuts of Argentine beef included in the new scheme (including americano, chorizo, colita de cuadril, entraña, lomo, matambre, ojo de bife, peceto, roast beef and tapa de asado) all belong to the Huella Natural brand, Carrefour Argentina’s exclusive brand for fresh produce.
All products in the Huella Natural brand are subject to stringent controls at every stage in the production process to guarantee the highest quality. Priority is given to seasonally fresh produce and to production methods which prize agroecology, animal well-being, and respect for the environment and biodiversity.
“Our work with Carrefour Argentina demonstrates the growing momentum of Food Trust and is proof of our commitment to strengthening the chain that links foods from their origins to tables around the world,” notes Martín Hagelstrom, Blockchain director for IBM Latin America.
To ensure full traceability, each actor involved in the process contributes the necessary information at each stage in the product’s journey. On the technical front, the solution is powered by IBM.
Carrefour is already using blockchain in countries including France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Romania, Brazil and Taiwan. The company has been a pioneer in the implementation of blockchain for food tracing purposes since it announced its adoption of the technology in France in 2018. In 2021 it extended the solution to its clothing products, with over 1200 items across 38 categories now fully traceable using the new technology.
The initiative is part of the Act for Food campaign organized by Carrefour in an endeavour to offer visitors to its stores more and more options for healthy eating and responsible consumption.
With this innovation, Carrefour Argentina makes another important step towards guaranteeing transparent production and quality products.
