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In an increasingly interconnected and conscious world, food consumers no longer just seek taste and price; they demand to know the full story behind the products that reach their tables. Traceability has evolved from being primarily a logistical or regulatory requirement to becoming a fundamental pillar for building consumer trust and adding value throughout the entire food supply chain.
Recent regulations, such as FSMA 204 in the United States and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), are dramatically raising traceability expectations and requirements for companies operating in or exporting to these markets. While these regulations aim to ensure food safety and sustainability , the true potential of traceability is unleashed when this information is made accessible and understandable to the final consumer.
While traditional systems like ERPs are primarily designed to track transactions that are reflected in financial ledgers, effective traceability, especially that which is of interest to the consumer, requires following events . Every scan, movement, transformation, or interaction a product undergoes is an event . Events are more detailed, granular, and more accurately reflect a product’s actual lifecycle . A connected product platform, such as the one offered by Darwin Evolution, goes beyond transaction management to capture this event-level visibility . By integrating data from various sources (ERP, MES, WMS, files, manual entry, APIs) , these platforms eliminate information silos and create a single source of truth throughout the supply chain .
Why is this detailed visibility crucial for the consumer?
- Guaranteed Safety and Quality: In the event of a product recall or a food safety issue, accurate traceability allows for quick identification and isolation of affected batches, minimizing public health risk. Consumers feel safer knowing that suppliers can act quickly and precisely. Furthermore, traceability data, combined with quality information (such as temperature and humidity monitoring via IoT) , can inform decisions about logistics and storage to improve product freshness and quality at the point of sale.
- Transparency and Known Origin: Modern consumers want to know where their food comes from. «Farm-to-table» or «origin-to-consumer» traceability allows sharing verifiable information about the location of harvest or processing, cultivation practices (such as sustainable certifications) , and the product’s journey . This transparency addresses the growing demand for information about origin and production conditions.
- Building Trust and Brand Loyalty: A company’s ability to provide clear and accessible information about its products builds trust. In a competitive market, supply chain transparency becomes a key differentiator and can drive preference for a brand. Consumers are willing to pay more for sustainably sourced products with a transparent history .
- Empowerment for Informed Decisions: By making relevant information accessible to consumers, often through a simple scan of a QR code on the packaging , they are empowered to make purchasing decisions aligned with their values, whether health, environmental, or ethical. They can access details about origin, certifications, and even additional nutritional information or recipe ideas .
A platform like Darwin Evolution simplifies this complexity, allowing the unification of data events across borders, suppliers, and market players . We offer product verification services through traceability, allowing producers and other actors to upload key product information to interact with certification bodies and, crucially, with customers . By registering assets on a blockchain, immutable records are created that can be easily accessed via a QR code , without needing a special application . This not only protects the brand and customer loyalty but also combats counterfeiting and enables new sales strategies .
Regulatory compliance is the starting point. Next-generation traceability solutions, powered by connected data platforms, unlock additional value by fostering transparency, improving operational efficiency, and strengthening relationships with trading partners. For consumers, it means having access to the complete history of their food, building a relationship based on information and trust.
At Darwin Evolution, we believe the time to invest in traceability is now . Proactively preparing not only ensures compliance but also positions companies as leaders in sustainability and transparency, responding to the demands of an increasingly informed and demanding consumer.