TASMANIA, Australia – Officials with JBS Australia announced the launch of a farm-to-fork traceability program for its King Island Beef brand, allowing foodservice customers to link to individual beef producers of its products.

According to Sam McConnell, chief operating officer with JBS Southern, the program has been in the works for approximately one year and is planned as part of the company’s systemwide blockchain strategy.     

“We are very excited to implement the innovative system first at our Longford beef facility in Tasmania, where cattle supplied by our King Island producers are processed,” McConnell told attendees of an event held at King Island to officially announce the program. He added that the company plans to implement the program next at its Brooklyn plant in Melbourne.

The relaunch of the King Island beef brand includes redesigned packaging and promotional material that will be distributed to JBS’ foodservice partners in Australia.  

“As a leader in the branded beef space, the modern and innovative approach to traceability within our Great Southern Program ensures customers and consumers are engaged in the process and can trust where their food has come from,” McConnell said. 

Officials with foodservice supplier Andrews Meat Industries, said the program allows chefs to fully engage with the supply chain by delivering credentials along with the products they purchase.

“This is such an important step forward for our industry, bridging the final hurdle of traceability and provenance to our end users,” said Jacinta Geddes, general manager with Andrews Meat Industries.