Australia Post and Alibaba join up to fight food fraud

Australia Post

Australia Post is to participate in an initiative with Alibaba, PwC and natural health company Blackmores to reduce the amount of counterfeit food being sold across China.

Food fraud has been a major issue facing the global food industry. In recent years, reports have surfaced of counterfeiters targeting Australian products such as health supplements, beer and wine, honey and cherries.

The initiative will aim to improve the traceability of food products, reducing the risk of fraud and ensuring Australia remains a trusted exporter. The project will explore new technologies, such as blockchain, which could help map out the journey of food products across the supply chain and enable immediate audits.

Bob Black, Australia Post Executive General Manager Parcels and StarTrack CEO, said, “The initiative will leverage our secure, reliable and fast service to support the authentication of Australian products bound for the Chinese market.”

The initiative will build on Australia Post’s existing relationship with Alibaba which has enabled Australian businesses to sell their products across Alibaba’s platforms since 2014.

Source: Australia Post