# Trace food seamlessly across supply chains

> 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.

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

Canonical URL: https://www.sapientblock.com/en/use-cases/walmart-china-lebensmittel-lieferketten-lueckenlos-rueckverfolgen

## Documentation status

- **Project status:** Production
- **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.

## Benefits

- More efficient audits and goods receipt inspections between logistics partners
- Reduced coordination effort for quality complaints
- Standardised interfaces along the entire supply chain
- Immediate insight into origin and storage conditions via QR code scan
- Greater reliability regarding freshness and food safety
- 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
- Elimination of time-consuming manual documentation steps on paper
- Easy identification of faulty batches in stock

## Challenges

- Willingness of smaller suppliers to provide granular operational data
- Costs for hardware retrofitting with IoT sensors in older vehicle fleets
- Dependence on end customers’ willingness to actively use QR codes
- Complex technical integration with heterogeneous upstream suppliers and logistics providers
- Need for consistent physical labelling at batch and item level
- 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.

## Sources

- [Walmart China Takes on Food Safety with VeChainThor Blockchain Technology](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/walmart-china-takes-on-food-safety-with-vechainthor-blockchain-technology-300874047.html)
- [Walmart China Teams with VeChain, PwC on Blockchain Traceability Platform](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/walmart-china-teams-vechain-pwc-140100652.html)
- [Blockchain-Based Frameworks for Food Traceability](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10453023/)
- [Walmart China Takes on Food Safety with VeChainThor Blockchain Technology](https://medium.com/vechain-foundation/walmart-china-takes-on-food-safety-with-vechainthor-blockchain-technology-b1443e0e079c)
- [Walmart China uses blockchain technology to ensure food safety](https://www.retail-insight-network.com/news/walmart-china-blockchain-food-safety/)