Major North American shelf-stable seafood supplier Bumble Bee Foods announced this month that it is utilizing cloud software company SAP’s blockchain technology to trace the journey of its yellowfin tuna from the Indonesian ocean to the dinner table.
Bumble Bee has implemented SAP Cloud Platform Blockchain software into its operations, the supplier revealed in Austin, Texas during the popular music and culture festival South By Southwest (SXSW). Through their new partnership, SAP and Bumble Bee are looking to “innovate and improve upon seafood traceability as more and more consumers demand to know their food is safe and sustainably sourced,” the companies said in a press release.
Courtesy of SAP’s blockchain technology, consumers can access the complete origin and history of Bumble Bee Foods' Natural Blue by Anova yellowfin tuna by scanning a QR code on the product’s packaging. The technology provides layers of information about the fish-to-market journey, including the size of the catch, point of capture and the fishing community that caught it, as well as valuable insights to verify authenticity, freshness, safety, Fair Trade fishing certification, and sustainability.
"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," Bumble Bee Foods Chief Information Officer Tony Costa said. "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.”
Bumble Bee will be able to store data and create “a tamper-proof supply chain history, which can be shared and seen by each participant” thanks to the blockchain technology, SAP said. “For Bumble Bee, blockchain is the safest possible way to share data between parties because it is incorruptible and verifiable,” the cloud company added.
With the SXSW announcement, Bumble Bee has become the first food company to incorporate SAP blockchain technology into its production, according to SAP.
"This solution is an example of how blockchains can be used to revolutionize the future of food," said Oliver Betz, global head and senior vice president of SAP Innovative Business Solutions, part of SAP Digital Business Services. "It creates transparency and traceability across the food supply chain, from the ocean, across the cold chain, to the warehouse, store and our table. When we help enterprises like Bumble Bee to make innovation real, we support the consumer's need to know and reinforce their faith in the brands they trust."
Fair-Trade certified ahi tuna steaks from Bumble Bee Foods' Natural Blue by Anova brand can be found in 12 oz. bags at retailers across the United States, including Albertsons, Hy-Vee, Price Chopper, and Safeway.
