New regulations, blockchain buzz and consumer demand have new ideas swirling about how connected partners should be when tracking food and keeping it safe
Big shifts in thinking about the supply chain are happening because of two developments: excitement about blockchain’s potential and regulations requiring companies to shoulder more of the burden for verifying whether suppliers keep food safe.
First, FSMA forced a change in the mentality, “well-ingrained in the entirety of the food industry,” that companies are responsible for ensuring safety when products are in their possession, says Jennifer McEntire, vice president of food safety and technology for United Fresh Produce Association. “Historically I think there’s also been a sense that ‘I can only control what goes on when the product is in my possession, and I can’t control what somebody else did.’”