Food and beverage companies have a sense of the importance of new digital technologies to food safety, but lack the understanding of how to apply solutions like blockchain for this purpose – that’s according to a global survey of more than 1 600 industry experts. The survey carried out by DNV GL and GFSI found that only 1 in 10 companies are currently using new technology to ensure food safety but firms responded more positively in the longer term, with that number rising to almost 4 in 10.
Of the new wave of digital technologies, sensors and beacons (44% today, 56% in three years) are the most widely used solution followed by blockchain (15% today, 40% in three years). However, the lack of clarity is impacting investment decisions with more than a quarter of companies saying they do not know how much they will invest in digital solutions in the next 12 to 18 months and 14% answered that they will not spend in this area at all. Asian companies in particular see value in blockchain, with 57% expecting to use the technology in three years, which is significantly higher than other regions.