Abstract: |
Three tonnes of Australian beef packed in Casino NSW and bound for China is being tracked and verified using blockchain and Internet of Things technologies. The shipment is the first in a Food Agility project, led by Queensland company BeefLedger Limited and QUT. It aims to stamp out the problem of 'fake steak' in international export markets, giving suppliers and consumers confidence that their meat is 100% Aussie. The team is building a digital system using 'smart contracts' to replace forgeable letters of credit, developing and integrating a suite of technologies into new packaging to prevent the substitution of fake products, and building apps for consumers and suppliers so they can verify where their meat comes from. Food Agility CEO, Dr. Mike Briers, says food fraud is a growing concern as the demand for Australian beef in markets such as China, outstrips supply. |