Leveraging Blockchain for Food Safety and Traceability in the Digital Age

Abstract

As organizational competition intensifies, supply chains are becoming increasingly competitive, pushing businesses to deliver greater value to their customers. Traceability has emerged as a critical indicator of operational efficiency and customer service within supply chains. This study explores the application of blockchain technology to enhance food safety by reducing contamination risks, improving recall effectiveness, and building consumer trust. The several proposed blockchain-based models enable comprehensive traceability by recording and managing all stakeholder transactions and interactions within the supply chain using smart contracts. Transactions are securely logged in a decentralized Interplanetary File System (IPFS), ensuring data integrity and tamper-proof audit trails. It is worth to mention that IPFS (Inter Planetary File System) is a decentralized storage system that allows files to be stored and shared across a network of nodes. This architecture supports a transparent, accurate, and cost-effective supply chain system. Performance evaluations of the model show a convergence differential time and a throughput of varied transactions per second, demonstrating its effectiveness in agricultural product traceability. The blockchain system utilizes a consensus algorithm to generate a nonce value during the initial collection and segregation of data from various supply chain stakeholders. This value helps determine the suitability of food items based on established storage and handling standards provided by food safety authorities. By maintaining an immutable and transparent record from farm to table, the blockchain system guarantees product authenticity, freshness, and compliance with food safety standards. This study highlights both the advantages and challenges of implementing blockchain in food supply chains and discusses its potential future developments in the digital age. The findings underscore blockchain’s capacity to create a reliable, traceable, and tamper-resistant supply chain, ultimately enhancing food quality and safety.