How can food regulators harness blockchain technology & IoT by collaborating more with industry?

we connect everything - ubloquity

In this podcast we discuss the challenge of needing more regulation to ensure our food is safe to eat, while recognising there are less resources for regulators to carry out 'in-person' checks.
We explore the potential for new and emerging technologies like blockchain and IoT devices, to help tackle the problem, while making the entire system better, simpler and cheaper.
Dom is joined by two legends from the food regulation and food safety industry - both of whom are officially 'retired', but aren't letting that get in the way of continuing to thought-lead and contribute on the global stage be that advising major companies or the UN and WHO.
John Barnes is a former Senior Civil Servant with extensive experience developing and delivering food safety controls, including relevant legislation and guidance at a national and international level. He retired from the Food Standards Agency in 2015, and now works part-time providing strategic advice at company Board level on national and international food controls.
David Edwards is a food safety and business consultant. He was the joint founder of CMI which was sold in 2007 to NSF International. Currently David is an investor and advisor to food sector businesses and service companies drawing on 40 years experience and knowledge of the global food safety and health and safety standards and regulatory services market.
Both agree the current regulatory system is not fit for purpose. John says the system needs to be modernised as the resources for regulators aren't there. He outlines three strategic tramlines to enable change:

1. using data and technology better
2. collaborating more - the private and the public control systems working together and sharing more data
3. more transparency between the regulator and the industry

David believe transparency is an under utilised tool by regulators and thinks back to Campylobacter when league tables were reduced to drive positive change by retailers in their food supply chains.
John believes change is necessary but there are obvious weak points. When it comes to meat, veterinary inspections and certificates are the 13 amp fuse in the whole system.
David adds, you can have a really efficient system of digitising all the paperwork that goes with food transport across borders. But the chicane in the system is a really clunky, old fashioned inspection system, where you have to have a veterinary inspector present to sign off masses of paperwork.
He believes there's a real imperative for regulators to deal with that chicane, streamline it, but he says it can be done, and it is being done.
Listen to the full podcast or read the transcript to see what else they had to say.

Would you like to be interviewed for the podcast?
The ubloquity podcast is designed to help demystify how blockchain technology is being operationalised in the real world.
If you'd like to be featured or have an idea for an episode don't hesitate to get in touch with Dom.