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Trace food seamlessly across supply chains

Sector: Tertiary sector · Industry: Warehousing and logistics services · Organisation: Walmart China, VeChain · Maturity level: Production

In June 2019, Walmart China launched a blockchain traceability platform for 23 product categories in collaboration with VeChain and PwC. The system securely records information on origin, logistics milestones, storage temperatures, and safety certifications directly on the blockchain. Consumers and retail partners can instantly verify the complete supply chain journey of individual batches in stores by scanning a QR code.

Documentation status

• Project status: Production — Walmart China and VeChain launched the platform in production in June 2019 for 23 product categories.
• Evidence: Evidence medium
• Editorial review: pending

Description

Walmart China demonstrates together with VeChain how logistical processes in the food sector can be made tamper-proof and traceable through distributed ledgers. For logistics companies and retailers, this means that every step of a product from harvest through the central warehouse to the market is recorded tamper-resistant. Consumers can access this information directly at the shelf, which significantly strengthens trust in sensitive food supply chains.

The Walmart China Blockchain Traceability Platform was officially launched in June 2019 in collaboration with VeChain and PwC. Initially, 23 product lines were integrated, including fresh meat, vegetables and rice. Sensor data such as transport times and storage temperatures are automatically fed into the VeChainThor blockchain to prove compliance with the cold chain. The system enables affected batches to be identified and separated from intact stocks within seconds in case of quality deviations or recalls. The solution was gradually scaled to several hundred stores to establish a nationwide standard for food safety.

Perspectives

B2B — organisations perspective

Logistics partners and producers share relevant inspection and shipping data via a unified data infrastructure. This prevents data manipulation between interfaces and significantly accelerates goods receipt inspections and certification checks.

B2C — consumers perspective

End customers scan the QR code on the packaging in the supermarket and immediately see the harvest location, transport stations, cooling measurements and official certificates. This creates a direct verification option and strengthens trust in food safety at the point of sale.

Employees perspective

Warehouse and transport staff use unified digital recording processes instead of manual delivery note checks. The intuitive handling of scanners and IoT sensors reduces bureaucratic recording effort during ongoing shifts.

Benefits

General

• Seamless documentation of logistical waypoints and environmental conditions
• Increased forgery protection of certificates and test protocols
• Faster localisation of product batches in the event of an incident

B2B — organisations

• More efficient audits and goods receipt inspections between logistics partners
• Reduced coordination effort for quality complaints
• Standardised interfaces along the entire supply chain

B2C — consumers

• Immediate insight into origin and storage conditions via QR code scan
• Greater reliability regarding freshness and food safety

Employees

• Elimination of time-consuming manual documentation steps on paper
• Easy identification of faulty batches in stock

Challenges

General

• Complex technical integration with heterogeneous upstream suppliers and logistics providers
• Need for consistent physical labelling at batch and item level

B2B — organisations

• Willingness of smaller suppliers to provide granular operational data
• Costs for hardware retrofitting with IoT sensors in older vehicle fleets

B2C — consumers

• Dependence on end customers’ willingness to actively use QR codes

Employees

• Requirement for continuous training during process changes in the warehouse environment

Technology foundation

The platform is based on the VeChainThor blockchain combined with IoT sensors for temperature monitoring and physical QR codes for unique batch identification. This combination enables immutable documentation of logistical events from production through intermediate storage to stores, which can be audited and shared by all parties involved.

Implementation examples

Walmart China Blockchain Traceability Platform

Due to high demands on food safety in China, a seamless, transparent and tamper-proof traceability system was to be realised to strengthen consumer trust and minimise risks in cold chains.

Walmart China implemented a blockchain platform together with VeChain for batch tracking of 23 product lines. The system monitors cold chains and logistics data from production to the market.

In June 2019, Walmart China launched a traceability platform based on the VeChainThor blockchain in cooperation with VeChain and PwC. The system was initially tested and implemented for 23 product groups such as fresh meat, vegetables and packaged foods. Along the supply chain, interfaces and IoT sensors capture condition data, which is stored immutably and can be accessed by consumers and store staff via QR code. By 2020, coverage was gradually extended to several hundred stores.

Prevention of manipulative data entries, seamless integration of different actors along the supply chain and provision of reliable freshness certificates at the point of sale.

Tags

Supply chain, Traceability, Food safety, IoT, Cold chain

Sources

1. Walmart China Takes on Food Safety with VeChainThor Blockchain Technology
2. Walmart China Teams with VeChain, PwC on Blockchain Traceability Platform
3. Blockchain-Based Frameworks for Food Traceability
4. Walmart China Takes on Food Safety with VeChainThor Blockchain Technology
5. Walmart China uses blockchain technology to ensure food safety