Australia Post and Alibaba focusing on food export traceability
Australia Post is working with Alibaba and natural health company Blackmores to provide more traceability for Australian food products being sold to Chinese consumers. Bob Black, Australia Post Executive General Manager Parcels and StarTrack CEO, said the project would help guarantee genuine products arrive safely into the hands of Chinese consumers.
“We are delighted Alibaba has invited us to create an innovative platform, which will track food from paddock to plate, strengthening the supply chain,” said Black.
“The initiative will leverage our secure, reliable and fast service to support the authentication of Australian products bound for the Chinese market.”
In a statement issued today (24 March), Australia Post said that the project will explore new technologies, including blockchain technology, which could obtain crucial details from suppliers about where and how their food was grown and map its journey across the supply chain. The technology has the potential to enable up-to-date audits, increasing transparency between producers and consumers.
Food fraud is one of the biggest issues facing the global food industry, because of the potential health risks associated with adulteration and loss of trust from consumers and governments. In recent years counterfeiters have targeted popular Australian products such as health supplements, beer and wine, honey and cherries.
