Maintaining Halal Integrity in the Supply Chain with Blockchain Technology

Blockchain, beyond the buzz, is a general purpose technology that is widely applicable to food supply chains. Often misunderstood, a public blockchain serves as a neutral arbiter of trust, capable of integrating data from different stakeholders into a single unmodified chain of information. In the food industry, this allows for proof of origin, end-to-end traceability, and even quality assurance of products.One specific industry that stands to exponentially reap the benefits of such a distributed system is the global halal market. Halal, a term used to refer to Islamic law and the means by which meat should be prepared, is a crucial product identifier for more than 1.5 billion people around the world. As halal products have become better known for their health benefits and sustainable practices, fraudulent products claiming to adhere to rising consumer expectations have come to dominate the market. Blockchain may hold the key to effectively combating these practices but many still…