Bumble Bee Foods Uses Blockchain Device to Trace Tuna from Sea-to-Supermarket

One of North America’s biggest Seafood providers is teaming up with an international Software company in order to use blockchain technology to trace its supply of yellowfin tuna from the tropics to the table.

The partnership between Bumble Bee Foods and Germany-based SAP was announced Friday and is driven by the increase in consumer demand for more trust and traceability in the food sector.

According to Bumble Bee, it will be the first food company to integrate SAP’S Cloud Platform Blockchain technology into their food service. Allowing the high-tech software system to accumulate precise, tamper-proof data on the tunas’ supply-chain journey.

Consumers who are curious about the history of the product can simply scan the food item’s QR bar code via their smartphone and instantly receive information about the fish’s journey from the sea to the supermarket.

This information will contain comprehensive tracking data, including when the fish was caught, the source of the fishing trawler and the size of the tuna.  It can also verify the freshness and authenticity of the fish, as well as provide information on fair trade and sustainability.

Bumble Bee Foods Chief Information Officer, Tony Costa says “With SAP, we have the ability to track fish the moment it’s caught and as it travels around the world, telling the story of each tuna while positively impacting ecosystems and the lives of the people all the way down the line,” he said.

Costa says the enhanced traceability adds value to the company’s sustainability initiatives and is also beneficial for their conscious consumer base.

“Bumble Bee has long been an industry leader in tracing its seafood products, and the addition of SAP’s blockchain technology allows us to further elevate our efforts in complete transparency with consumers and customers, providing assurance that their fish is fresh and it’s been sourced fairly according to our commitments to the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation,” Costa continued.

A desire for increased accountability and traceability among consumers is a growing trend in the food industry according to Oliver Betz, the Global Head and Senior Vice President of  SAP Innovative Business Solutions and SAP Digital Business Services.

“This solution is an example of how blockchains can be used to revolutionize the future of food,” he said. “It creates transparency and traceability across the food supply chain, from the ocean, across the cold chain, to the warehouse, store and our table. “

As customers take more interest in the products they consume, blockchain in the food chain breaks boundaries by encapsulating a farm-to-fork story instead of lackluster labels. Aiding what could be the start of a valuable partnership between two forward-thinking companies.