Mitsubishi subsidiary is putting salmon on blockchain

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Blockchain is becoming a popular method to track distribution chains, and this is why Mitsubishi subsidiary Cermaq has opted to start using the technology to track salmon.

The salmon will be sold by a French food company, according to Cermaq. Labeyrie will be selling the salmon using the system, which will enable consumers to scan a QR code that is on the label. This will provide comprehensive data that will tell the consumer everything about the journey of the salmon “from egg to store.”

The marketing material associated with plan refers to this information as the salmon’s “CV,” referencing the document that job applicants frequently submit to potential employers describing their job history and education. The company has cleverly included this reference, explaining that this feature will enable consumers to know everything about the salmon, including its origin, where and how it was farmed, its size when it was transferred into seawater, and where the farming facility is located.

“This project contributes to reassuring French consumers that the salmon they are purchasing has been farmed in a responsible and sustainable way, is healthy and nutritious, and comes from the beautiful, cold and crisp waters north of the Arctic Circle,” Cermaq executive Brede Løfsgaard said.

IBM is the creator of the Hyperledger-based platform that is being used to track the salmon. Hyperledger is a software program that works in conjunction with over 150 different organizations. This includes some of the most prestigious names in global business, including American Express, IBM, Intel, FedEx, and JP Morgan.

Last week, Nestlé announced that they were using the platform, partnering with French retailer Carrefour to include baby milk formula on the platform. The collective who are using the platform as a means to monitor the food chain are part of the IBM Food Trust program.

This is also not the first time that a company has decided to use blockchain technology to track the supply chain of fish. In January, Stephan Nilsson announced that he would be working with salmon farmers in Norway put their salmon on the technology platform.

In describing the move, Nilsson explained that the use of this technology makes sense because “It’s more or less the only immutable system in the world.”