Over the last few years, product sourcing has taken on heightened importance, as businesses have experienced the challenges of unexpected supply chain disruptions that have the potential to derail the delivery of goods and materials that are essential to one’s business. This is especially true in the food and beverage industry, where even a minor mistake can quickly become a health and safety hazard if not handled correctly. Supply chain transparency in the industry has become increasingly important following the FDA’s new guidelines put into effect earlier this year that it would begin strictly enforcing several existing rules on food safety, with a short window of compliance adherence. As such, businesses are looking for methods to ensure more efficient sourcing and better traceability across food supply chains.
At Black Ink Tech, we have a solution – Sources to Courses (S2C) is a digital platform that tracks consumables directly from their authentic source, providing end-to-end visibility to the entire supply chain. For example- when a crop is planted or a fish is caught, a working individual begins a traceable virtual record, called Validated Data Token™ (VDT) on the Source to Courses platform. To create the Validated Data Token record, the platform captures what is called attribute metadata – storing information regarding the Where, When, Who, and What of that object or event. This is what sets Sources to Courses apart- our platform provides the most detailed, transparent records from producer-to-consumer visualization permanently stored using immutable ledger technology. This isn’t simply a digital copy of the data, but rather an actual record backed by permanent metadata through the use of immutable ledger technology.
Sources to Courses is a simple and easy-to-use solution that provides a permanent, transparent record for consumables, including where food is produced, how it is transported, and where it is stored or consumed. Using our patented technology, Sources to Courses can leverage hardware devices such as mobile phones, trusted tablets, or stationary kiosks to provide a permanent, validated, and easy-to-audit record of the consumable product's life cycle.
Accessing this data is straightforward – every Validated Data Token is connected to its own QR code, which can be physically attached to the packaging. With this, distributors, consumers, and inspectors can use the Touch Audit™ feature, which allows anyone to scan the QR code with a mobile phone, tablet, or desktop to instantly view the data record. The Sources to Courses third-party audit functionality allows for the seamless creation of detailed reports for inspectors and auditors to view operations and production. Meanwhile, the digitized processes and detailed records help businesses increase efficiencies and make data-informed decisions. It also helps ease consumers’ concerns about where their food comes from by providing a higher standard of transparency in food sourcing. Each individual has more autonomy to verify the truthfulness of information for themselves, rather than having to take someone else’s word for it.
By harnessing the power of immutable ledger technology, Sources to Courses allows businesses to track and trace their supply chains like never before, ensuring the quality and safety of their products. The platform uses this technology to permanently store detailed, transparent records for producer-to-consumer visualization. Operations are easily logged for the planting, growing, and harvesting processes to prove the quality and freshness of the food produced. Our records are straightforward, permanent, and verified, making them convenient for everyone involved.
Every person deserves to know what they’re buying and have full confidence in the food they are putting on their tables. With our detailed and easy-to-access records, we can give consumers confidence in the food they eat.
To learn more about Sources to Courses, be sure to check out the website!