Walmart, Kroger partner with others to create global blockchain

Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart, Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co. and several large food companies are seeking a more complete picture of the supply chain in order to track how bad foods make it from farms to the store aisles, according to a June 25  article in the Wall Street Journal.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the companies have established a group they call the Food Trust, dedicated to constructing a blockchain aimed at making it easier to track food across the globe, identify issues and support and improve speedy recalls when necessary. The group said it expects to set new industry standards on food tracking with the blockchain.

It’s difficult to know what happens to food that’s gone bad, the group said in the article. While regulators must figure out what went wrong, no company, industry group or government agency yet has a comprehensive picture of how food products such as fruit, meat and other items get from the farm to the fork. Companies are required to record a few steps taken in their supply chains while some continue to document the information on paper.

Read the Wall Street Journal's full report here.