Arla Finland using blockchain technology to show milk journey to consumers

By Jim Cornall

- Last updated on GMT

Blockchain technology is only being used with one product, Single Estate Organic Milk, however it may be extended in the future.
Blockchain technology is only being used with one product, Single Estate Organic Milk, however it may be extended in the future.

Related tags Arla blockchain

Arla Finland says it is the first dairy manufacturer in the world to make its production chain from farm to dairy open to the public through blockchain technology.

Data saved on the dairy farm and during milk collection and processing is automatically transferred to the Arla Milkchain where it can be viewed by anyone.

Arla brand and category manager Sanna Heikfolk said the development is due to consumers’ demands.

“People want their food and drink to be produced responsibly and transparently. Arla’s goal is to promote and pioneer transparency in dairy production,”​ Heikfolk said.

Check the date

Consumers can learn about the journey of their milk by checking the date of packaging on the carton and looking it up on the Arla Milkchain calendar on the Arla website.

The service provides information on the milk’s different production stages, such as how many cows were milked, whether any calves were born on the farm and which employees were working at the time. It shows when the milk was picked up from the farm, when the milk arrived at the dairy and more.

arla suomi2

Most of the data is saved automatically, so collecting it does not require additional work in the milk production chain.

Potential expansion

Tomi Sirén, head of digital solutions, said currently blockchain technology is only used with one product, Single Estate Organic Milk, however it may be used with other products in the future.

The raw material for Single Estate Organic Milk comes from the Tikka farm in Kurikka.

Tikka farm entrepreneur Tuomo Mäkinen said, “Trust is built on a combination of factors. That’s why it’s also important to make the origins and journey of the product understood. It’s only natural that people want to know who worked on their product and how things on the farm went that day.”

The Single Estate Organic Milk is packed in Arla Finland’s Hämeenlinnan Osuusmeijeri cooperative dairy.

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