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INTRODUCTION

Blockchains have pervaded a plethora of industries, and the food industry is no exception. The truth is that food with the promise of freshness cannot always be trusted, thus creating potentials for food fraud. Food fraud is a worldwide problem that robs the industry of billions annually while robbing the consumer of trust. It may involve the alteration of food products or the deliberate mislabeling or adulterating them for profit motives to lead the public at risk as well. The pipeline complexities in supply chains hold more challenges as the origin and authenticity of a product become more uncertain.

Blockchain technology, which allows for decentralized, transparent, and tamper-proof recording of data, has emerged as such a promising tool against food fraud while ensuring adequate quality. With this kind of technology, the traceability of food products from farm to table is guaranteed, so that many stakeholders-from producers through distributors to consumers, can provide reliable information on their quality and origin.

The otherwise transforming technology in food supply chains introduces transformational accountability and trust within the industry. Fostered more emotionally, it will broaden the horizon to reduce fraud, improve product safety, and create sustainability for the common good of business and the consumer.

• INCREASED TRACEABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY

Furthermore, blockchain is created as an indelible ledger capable of recording each event along the food supply chain from end to end and allowing all stakeholders to trace all the events from the origin, the course, and handling thereof of products.

For example, the IBM Food Trust platform boasts that food items can be traced on the blockchain in seconds instead of days compared to previous ways of reporting. This technology is already being adopted by many companies such as Walmart, for example, to trace their produce effectively and expeditiously track contamination problems. Thus, through improving traceability, frauds, such as mislabeling or counterfeit sale, would be avoided.

Therefore, this transparency depends also on consumers, it makes possible for them to scan QR codes on products using the blockchain-based applications and obtain verified information about their food. The decision to buy based upon such realities decreases brand reliability and the consumer risk of misrepresentations.

• PRODUCT AUTHENTICITY AND QUALITY

Blockchain contributes towards verification practices related to the quality and authenticity of a product by simply storing vital certifications, temperature logs, or handling records in an tamper-proof database.Such information becomes critical especially for high-value or perishable products such as organic fruits and vegetables, seafood, and meat.

For instance, customers such as Provenance and VeChain help brands authenticate affirmations such as “organic" or "fair trade" through blockchain-recognized records. Every aspect of product quality is assured along every avenue of the supply chain, from production to distribution. For example, in temperature-sensitive goods like vaccines or dairy products, blockchain may monitor acceptable ranges for storage conditions.

A system of blockchain leaves behind accounts of the trip and the state of a product. Therefore, the possibility for fraud is minimized while ensuring that indeed quality goods reach the consumers' hands.

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• REDUCING COUNTERFEIT AND ADULTERATED PRODUCTS

Food fraud generally relates to the selling of an altered product or one that imitates the expected true good.. The consumer is fooled by such products and they pose a national public health hazard. Blockchain mitigates this effect by creating a secure and verifiable chain of custody for each product.

For instance, in the seafood industry, the various blockchain solutions deployed to the markets verify that fish are sustainably sourced by ensuring they reached the markets legally caught and labeled. Effectively, this measure avoids substituting high-value species with cheaper alternatives.

Also, in the wine and spirits industries, blockchain identification and authentication of premium products, such as old wines, works by tracing the source, ensuring bottles are not tampered with, and thereby significantly reducing the counterfeit product volume found in the market and perpetrating brand integrity.

• ENSURING COMPLIANCE AND CREATING CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

The blockchain enables compliance with the regulatory requirements by keeping open and auditable record of food production and distribution. It allows the regulatory authorities access to the blockchain records enabling them to attest that safety and quality guidelines were observed while making inspections and certifications.

Consequently, this assurance is towards consumers through the fact that data in blockchains guarantees meeting safety standards by food products. For example, during Covid-19, proof of the supply chains conducted through blockchain was used to ascertain compliance with safety and hygiene standards, building the trust of consumers in food safety.

Moreover, it instills a sense of trust as it permits sharing verified information about practices of sourcing and sustainability by companies to consumers. This goes on to back up the need from consumers for transparency and ethical practices and thus keeping a competitive edge in the market for those brands that seize the opportunity of blockchain technology.

CONCLUSION

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The food industry will be dramatically transformed by blockchain in terms of cost reduction, less fraud, quality guarantee and increasing transparency. With its ability to enhance traceability, promote authentication, and support compliance, blockchain provides answers to important challenges in the supply chain for all stakeholders. With the ever-growing increase in the number of their adopters, the technology holds great promise for a safe, trustworthy, and sustainable food system, benefiting businesses and consumers.

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