By Salama Evans, HalalFocus
Dubai, UAE, December 13, 2022: OneAgrix, Inexto, OriginTrail and their ecosystem partners announce a pioneering and comprehensive halal digitalization solution, tracing beef from the DNA to QR code.
With just a smartphone, food consumers can now verify the origins of their food, trace it through the supply chain, verify the authenticity of the halal certificate, and confirm that the product is genuine.
This end-to-end food traceability technology was showcased at a high-end restaurant in Dubai as a joint effort by OneAgrix, Inexto, OriginTrail, and their ecosystem partners for the launch of the traceability technology.
With food being sourced from across the world there are more opportunities for food fraud through the supply chain. Tampering with food products, including mislabeled meat scandals in Europe and Asia, has proven the need to ensure food safety is paramount for consumers’ health and safety. Technology that enables buyers to trace the supply chain journey of the food is important to build consumer trust and ensure food safety by the retailers selling their products, also enabling fast product recall.
OneAgrix and eight ecosystem partners have developed an end-to-end supply chain traceability and transparency solution that is commercially viable. The solution will enable consumers and food distributors to provide consumers with clear information on the origin of their food and verify that their food is genuine.
This all-in-one turnkey solution for both suppliers and buyers is available on the OneAgrix platform.
The comprehensive food traceability solution connects the serving on the plate to the farm from which it came. Identification technology, provided by Inexto, traces the product through the supply chain, and DNA traceability verifying the connection to the animal itself. Together, they identify the type and origin of the meat, the identity of the farm and the meat processor, the authenticity of the halal certifications, and the health certificates required for processing and export.
Certificates are stored in OriginTrail’s network operating system, built on blockchain technology to maintain their integrity and all stored on OneAgrix’s platform.
Mr Philippe Chatelain, CEO of Inexto explained, “INEXTO Solutions are yearly securing over 100 Billion products across their global supply chains and delivers the highest degree of trust and security to consumers, customers, and governments. INEXTO is excited to be part of the Halal End-to-End traceability project with OneAgrix, thus providing halal food product consumers with a demonstrated proof of origin and authenticity.”
Mr Philippe Chatelain, CEO ofConsumers and wholesalers will be able to authenticate the claims of the food suppliers with just a smartphone. Combining supply chain traceability with DNA provenance, it is possible to verify if a food product is genuine or if it has been adulterated or substituted.
Several countries across continents have collaborated in this pilot project to enhance consumer confidence in the halal food sector, which includes a private-public partnership. The pilot project is a cross-border transaction, from a halal premium farm in the UK to a leading restaurant in the UAE.
Žiga Drev, Founder and Managing Director at Trace Labs, the core developers of OriginTrail highlighted, “At Trace Labs, we are committed to building a more transparent, collaborative and trusted global economy with the OriginTrail Decentralized Knowledge Graph.This pilot is a comprehensive exercise following a multi-year integration of OneAgrix platform, focused on bringing the benefits of blockchain-based technologies closer to stakeholders within faith-based food supply chains around the world to advance transparency and trust.”
According to the ecosystem partners, Dubai was chosen as the city to launch this pioneering and comprehensive technology as the city is known as the ‘city of the future’, famous for its innovation as well as being a global halal hub.
“We are delighted that Dubai is the destination to launch the world’s first comprehensive food traceability solution, which is in line with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s national vision for UAE 2031, on the importance of food security by utilizing the latest in technology and innovative approaches,” said Ms Diana Sabrain, CEO of OneAgrix.
Ms Sabrain further explained that industry players in the food supply chain, across continents, have come together to improve the integrity of the halal food sector. This pioneering, comprehensive end-to-end food traceability pilot project sets the gold standard for food transparency,
AHDB’s Halal Sector Manager, Dr Awal Fuseini said, “OneAgrix’s halal digitalization project would improve traceability and transparency in the halal sector. The UK meat industry is well positioned to continue to supply premium halal meat products to the growing halal market, this digitalization project is expected to increase consumer confidence in our products”.
According to Mr Marco Rosa, UAE Country Manager, Longino & Cardenal, “We source only the best products around the world. We believe quality is an outcome of the passion of the food producers, and once we met Mr Usman of Hill Farm Finest, we understood it is a perfect match for our catalogue. Being part of this halal digitalization pilot is important to us because we believe in sustainability and traceability as a core part of the quality process.”
OneAgrix’s ecosystem partners include:
- Inexto, a leading provider of software and services for traceability, authentication and serialization;
- OriginTrail, developers of a protocol connecting the physical and digital worlds through Web3 protocols enabling trust and data sharing between companies, organizations and blockchains;
- Hill Farm Finest, a UK-based farm, providing premium halal beef;
- Longino & Cardinal, an Italian rare and precious foods distributor and caterer;
- Halal Certification Organisation (HCO), a UK-based, independent certification organization in quality product mark assurance for halal requirements;
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), the agriculture and horticulture development board of the United Kingdom;
- AIO Partners, providing official Health Certification for exports,
- and a Fortune 500 enterprise.
