S. Korea uses blockchain technology to trace beef supply chain

All Headlines 12:00 November 20, 2018

SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government said Tuesday it will use blockchain technology to track beef through the supply chain to provide consumers with information about the source of their food.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Science and ICT will jointly launch the pilot program in cattle farms and slaughterhouses in North Jeolla Province by December.

After a trial period, the system will be formally launched in January 2019, the ministries said in a joint release.

The current cattle tracing system provides information from birth to slaughter, packaging and sales to ensure the safety of the meat. The paper-based reporting system, however, takes time and money, and is exposed to risks of fake certificates.

The new platform uses blockchain technology to store related information and certificates in the distributed ledger to enhance efficiency and credibility, the ministries said.