---
title: Blockchain food traceability system
url: "https://www.unknowngravity.com/en/servicios/food-traceability-system"
site: Unknown Gravity
published: "2026-10-16T17:06:39+00:00"
modified: "2026-10-16T19:33:21+00:00"
language: en
description: "We design blockchain food traceability systems: batches, EPCIS events, GS1 QR codes and your sector's EU rules. And we tell you when your ERP is enough."
section: "Home > Services > Blockchain food traceability system"
---

# Blockchain food traceability system

BATCH EVENTS IN EPCIS 2.0 QR CODES WITH GS1 DIGITAL LINK BUILT ON TOP OF YOUR ERP

[Book a meeting](/en/meeting)

A blockchain food traceability system records each batch and its events (harvest, processing, shipping, sale) in a shared ledger that no single company in the chain can rewrite on its own. It makes sense when several companies have to prove origin, quality or compliance to customers, importers or inspectors. Unknown Gravity designs it and integrates it with the ERP systems already in place, using GS1 standards and permissioned networks such as Spain's blockchain services infrastructure (ISBE).

**We connect the grower, the mill or the slaughterhouse, the carrier and the distributor around the same batch, each with its own visibility. If your ERP and the mandatory records are enough, we tell you before we start.**

## 01 / What a food traceability system is, and when it needs blockchain

A food traceability system is the set of identifiers, records and processes that lets you follow a batch of food from its origin to the point of sale. The legal minimum applies to every business: know who supplied each batch and who you delivered it to, “one step back, one step forward”.

An ERP covers that minimum: each company keeps its own stretch. The problem starts when the full history of a batch is spread across several companies that share no system and do not trust each other's records.

That is where a shared blockchain ledger helps: an append-only log of events, with no single owner, where each company signs its own entries. It makes sense when one or more of these apply:

- **Several independent companies** handle the same batch: grower, cooperative, processor, packer, carrier and distributor.
- **You sell a specific origin or quality** (PDO, early-harvest extra virgin olive oil, a named fishing ground) and your customer wants proof, not a statement.
- **You export**, and the buyer wants evidence it can check without logging into your system.
- **There is a risk of fraud or substitution**, and nobody, yourself included, should be able to change a record without leaving a trace.
- **A product recall** has to find the affected batches quickly, across every company.

| What you need | Usually enough | Does a shared ledger help? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Meet the “one step back, one step forward” rule | ERP or warehouse software | Not needed |
| Report to an official system (SITRAN, CATCH, INFOVI, SIMO…) | The official system itself | It does not replace it |
| One company controls the whole chain | A database with an immutable audit log | Rarely worth it |
| The history of a batch that passes through several companies | Swapped files and manual reconciliation | Yes: one record, signed by each party |
| Proof of origin a third party can verify | A PDF certificate | Yes: a timestamped fingerprint any authorized party can check |

What blockchain does not do is guarantee that the data is true: it guarantees that the data was not altered after it was recorded. If a batch comes in mislabeled, the chain keeps the error. That is why the design starts with who or what enters each data point: the [oracle](/en/glosario/oraculo) problem.

## 02 / The rules: Regulation 178/2002 and sector-specific requirements

Since January 1, 2005, [Article 18 of Regulation (EC) 178/2002](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32002R0178) has required every food and feed business to identify who supplied it and whom it supplied, at all stages of production, processing and distribution. For food of animal origin, [Implementing Regulation (EU) 931/2011](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011R0931) has set out since July 1, 2012 the data for each consignment (batch, quantity, consignor, consignee and date), updated daily and kept in whatever format the business chooses.

In Spain, missing data essential for traceability is a serious offense under [Law 17/2011](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2011-11604), with fines from €5,001 to €20,000. The general rule, step by step, is in our guide to [food traceability and Regulation 178/2002](/en/articulos/food-traceability).

On top of that rule, each sector has its own:

| Sector | Rule | Since | What must be traced |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Beef | [Regulation (EC) 1760/2000](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32000R1760) and Spain's [Royal Decree 787/2023](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2023-22499) (SITRAN) | Labeling, Sep 1, 2000; origin, Jan 1, 2002 | Link between the meat and the animal or group; countries of birth, rearing and slaughter; cattle births and movements reported within 7 days |
| Fisheries | [Regulation (EU) 2023/2842](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32023R2842) and the CATCH system | Jan 10, 2026; canned and prepared products, Jan 10, 2029 | Data for each lot (species, area, gear, catch date, quantity), passed digitally to the next operator; electronic catch certificate for imports |
| Wine | [Regulations (EU) 2018/273](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32018R0273) and 2018/274; Spain's [Royal Decree 739/2015](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2015-8647) | 2018; in Spain, monthly returns to INFOVI | Accompanying document for each transport; inward and outward register; listing in the REOVI register |
| Olive oil | [Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2105](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022R2105); Spain's [Royal Decree 760/2021](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2021-14318) and Royal Decree 861/2018 (SIMO) | 2021-2022; amended by [Royal Decree 808/2026](https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-20911), in force since Oct 9, 2026 | Inward and outward records by category; land-registry plot of the olives; prior notice of bulk movements and, since the amendment, of their completion |
| Food supply contracts (Spain) | [Law 12/2013](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2013-8554) and Royal Decree 1028/2022 | Mandatory registry since Jun 30, 2023 | Register contracts with primary producers before delivery (this traces contracts and prices, not the product) |

None of these rules requires or even mentions blockchain: they ask for integrity, access, retention and traceability. Nor does the chain replace SITRAN, CATCH, INFOVI, SIMO, the Spanish agriculture ministry's olive-oil movement system or its food contracts registry: a shared ledger is built alongside them, with the same data, so your customers and partners can see the history of a batch.

If your chain includes cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soy or wood, the EU deforestation regulation also applies from December 30, 2026 (June 30, 2027 for operators that are micro or small companies), with geolocation of every plot. We cover it in [EUDR traceability](/en/servicios/eudr-traceability).

## 03 / Verified cases by subsector, with their status

These are third-party projects, documented by the company itself, its provider or a public body. They are not Unknown Gravity projects. “Not stated” means the source says neither that the project is still running nor that it has ended.

### Olive oil

- **Castillo de Canena and Telefónica Tech** (2023): a digital label on each bottle links to the harvesting, milling, filtering and inerting events at the mill, recorded on TrustOS, Telefónica Tech's blockchain platform. Status: no end stated. [Telefónica press release (Spanish)](https://www.telefonica.com/es/sala-comunicacion/prensa/telefonica-tech-integra-blockchain-en-la-produccion-de-castillo-de-canena/).
- **Lidl and Izertis** (2025): Primera Cosecha extra virgin olive oil carries a QR code on each bottle with the origin, the grove and the oil's route to the mill. Status: no end stated. [Izertis news](https://www.izertis.com/en/w/news/lidl-and-izertis-blockchain-technology-to-guarantee-olive-oil-traceability).
- **Traditional EVOO Operational Group** (UPA, MIGASA, Izertis, University of Jaén and Lidl): a blockchain traceability system that certifies the origin of oil from traditional olive groves. Status: its working period ended in February 2025, with a bottle carrying its own code on sale. [Red PAC](https://redpac.es/en/node/13983).
- **Borges Aceites and Vottun** (2022): Borges is listed among the companies using Vottun's perishables platform, which records origin, processes, handling and transport. Status: not stated. [Alastria catalog](https://alastria.io/en/platform-for-tracing-perishable-goods/).

In olive oil, Spain already runs a central system for bulk movements. The value lies in proving origin and category to customers and export buyers, and in timestamping lab reports. Only the laboratory detects adulteration.

### Wine

- **GRAPERTE** (2025): a wine traceability platform, from vineyard to consumer, connecting 16 Spanish wineries (González Byass, Matarromera, Torres and Codorníu, among others), with Izertis managing the technology and blockchain in its architecture. It received more than €5 million under Spain's agri-food PERTE program. Status: project; no sign it is in production. [Izertis news](https://www.izertis.com/en/w/news/graperte-project-wine-digitalisation-traceability).

A shared ledger can show customers the PDO, vintage and grape variety from records that are already mandatory, with proof they have not been altered. What is actually in the tank is proven by analysis, not by the chain.

### Fisheries

- **Pevasa, Albacora and Code Contract** (2022): they digitize the tuna chain from catch to unloading in port; the chain records the process and confirms that documents have not been altered. Status: not stated; it runs on other networks, not on Alastria's. [Alastria catalog](https://alastria.io/en/traceability-and-automation-of-the-seafood-supply-chain/).
- **Carrefour, Port of Celeiro and Novamar** (2019): traceability for line-caught hake under the “Calidad y Origen” label, at a launch attended by Spain's agriculture and fisheries ministry. Status: not stated. [Ministry press release (Spanish)](https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/prensa/ultimas-noticias/detalle_noticias/el-director-general-de-ordenaci-n-pesquera-y-acuicultura-asiste-a-la-presentaci-n-del-primer-blockchain-de-pescado-fresco/ead2918c-3492-4809-9ce0-bb5a72d24776).

Since January 10, 2026, the data for each lot must reach the next operator in digital form, with no mandated platform: a lot registry built on EPCIS fits, especially when lots are recombined after the first sale. Species is confirmed by genetic testing, not by the chain.

### Meat and livestock

- **Digitanimal**: livestock traceability with GPS collars that records events on blockchain for farmers, authorities and consumers. Status: listed in the ISBE use-case catalog. [ISBE catalog (Spanish)](https://redisbe.com/casos-de-uso/).

The official register is SITRAN, and it is not replaced. A shared ledger adds value in the origin label and in linking ear tag, carcass, cuts and retail batch, but it does not stop someone from physically swapping a label in the cutting room.

### Eggs, fruit and other perishables

- **Vottun** (2022): besides Borges, its listing names Huevos Montsoliu, the Eden Fresh fruit consortium, Bimbo, Caladero and Calconut; buyers check the product history with a QR code. Status: not stated. [Alastria catalog](https://alastria.io/en/platform-for-tracing-perishable-goods/).
- **Senasa, Argentina** (2019): a new version of its citrus traceability system uses blockchain, following Blockchain Federal Argentina's technical guidelines, to ensure the certification documents for fresh citrus exports are not altered; it was already in production according to its notice of October 2, 2019. Status: not stated. [argentina.gob.ar (Spanish)](https://www.argentina.gob.ar/node/174518).

### Beverages and logistics

- **Estrella Galicia and iCommunity** (2020): logistics traceability in the hospitality channel, with product routes certified on blockchain. Reported by the provider. Status: not stated. [iCommunity blog](https://icommunity.io/blog/la-plataforma-blockchain-que-certifica-la-trazabilidad-de-estrella-galicia).

One lesson: [Carrefour with Coren](https://es.newsroom.ibm.com/2018-11-20-Carrefour-lanza-el-primer-blockchain-alimentario-en-Espana) (free-range chicken, 2018) and [Deoleo](https://www.ibm.com/es-es/case-studies/deoleo) (Maestros de Hojiblanca olive oil) relied on IBM Food Trust, which IBM withdrew from marketing on May 14, 2025, with no direct replacement; there is no sign those cases continue. Traceability data has to live in open formats and be able to move to another platform. The full list, including cases outside food, is in [blockchain in supply chain: real use cases and limits](/en/articulos/casos-de-uso-de-blockchain-en-la-cadena-de-suministro).

## 04 / Architecture: batch, EPCIS event, GS1 QR code and which network

A well-designed food traceability system does not invent formats: it uses the standards your customers and suppliers already understand, and puts the blockchain only where it adds something, in integrity and timestamps.

- **Batches and events in EPCIS 2.0.** The GS1 standard, ratified in June 2022, describes each event in five dimensions: which object, when, where, at which business step and in what condition, and it supports sensor data. Harvest, processing, palletizing, shipping and receiving are events; so are merging and splitting lots.
- **GS1 Digital Link on the label.** It turns the GTIN, batch or serial number into a web address that resolves to that batch's information. It is the QR code the consumer scans, and the same one that will serve the [digital product passport](/en/articulos/digital-product-passport-dpp). Its syntax complies with ISO/IEC 18975:2024.
- **Sensors and oracles.** A temperature logger, a GPS collar or a lab report are data inputs. Each one is signed with the identity of whoever records it, and the design sets what is checked before it is accepted: the chain cannot see the physical batch.

| On chain | Off chain |
| --- | --- |
| The fingerprint ([hash](/en/glosario/hash)) of each event or document, as the GS1 CBV 2.0 vocabulary provides for notarizing events | The full event, the documents and the lab reports |
| The timestamp and the signature of whoever recorded it | Personal data about farmers, ranchers or signatories |
| The verified identity of each company (DIDs and credentials) | Prices, margins and commercial terms |

Personal data stays off chain because that is what the European Data Protection Board recommends in its Guidelines 02/2025 (version 2.0, adopted July 7, 2026): on chain, only fingerprints or cryptographic commitments.

The network depends on who takes part:

- **Spain's blockchain services infrastructure (ISBE)**: a public permissioned network on Hyperledger Besu, live since December 18, 2025, with KYB checks and a DID for every organization, and no per-transaction gas cost. It is operated by Alastria, of which Unknown Gravity is a member. We explain it in [building on ISBE](/en/blockchain/desarrollo-blockchain-isbe), and how it differs from Alastria and EBSI in [this comparison](/en/articulos/spain-isbe-alastria-ebsi-differences).
- **A consortium network** on Hyperledger Fabric or Besu, when partners want to run their own nodes: see [private blockchains](/en/servicios/blockchain-privadas).
- **Anchoring on a public network**: a single fingerprint summarizing many events is published at intervals, as proof of existence without exposing content.

## 05 / How we approach it: phases, deliverables and sources

Before writing any code we review who enters each data point, what happens when a partner does not, and what the person scanning the QR code wants to check.

1. **Assessment.** A map of the chain, the rules and official systems that apply to you, and what you want to prove and to whom. If a well-configured ERP is enough, the project ends here.
2. **Data model.** GS1 identifiers, EPCIS events, lot merges and splits, what goes on and off chain, and a data protection impact assessment.
3. **Pilot.** One product, two or three partners and a real QR code on the label.
4. **Integration and rollout.** ERP connectors, a capture app for partners with no system, a GS1 Digital Link resolver and the chosen network.
5. **Operations.** Onboarding and offboarding partners, governance rules, backups and monitoring.

Deliverables on a typical engagement:

- An assessment report with a reasoned decision: blockchain or not, and on which network.
- An EPCIS data model and a map of GS1 identifiers.
- Smart contracts, APIs and integrations, with test suites and a security audit before production.
- A batch lookup page, a consortium governance agreement and an operations manual.

For the overall view by sector and regulation, start with [blockchain traceability for supply chains](/en/servicios/sistema-trazabilidad-de-productos).

### Sources

- [Regulation (EC) 178/2002](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32002R0178), Articles 18 and 65 (EUR-Lex)
- [Implementing Regulation (EU) 931/2011](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011R0931), Article 3 (EUR-Lex)
- [Spain's Law 17/2011 on food safety and nutrition](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2011-11604), Articles 51 and 52 (BOE)
- [Regulation (EC) 1760/2000](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32000R1760), Article 13 (EUR-Lex)
- [Royal Decree 787/2023 (SITRAN)](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2023-22499) (BOE)
- [Regulation (EU) 2023/2842](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32023R2842), new Article 58 of Regulation 1224/2009 and CATCH (EUR-Lex)
- [Regulation (EU) 2018/273](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32018R0273), Articles 8 and 28 (EUR-Lex)
- [Royal Decree 739/2015 (INFOVI and REOVI)](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2015-8647) (BOE)
- [Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2105](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022R2105), Article 5 (EUR-Lex)
- [Royal Decree 760/2021](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2021-14318) and [Royal Decree 808/2026](https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-20911) (BOE)
- [Royal Decree 861/2018 (SIMO)](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2018-10939) (BOE)
- [Law 12/2013 on the food supply chain](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2013-8554), Article 11 bis, and [Royal Decree 1028/2022](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2022-21680) (BOE)
- [Regulation (EU) 2025/2650](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32025R2650), EUDR application dates (EUR-Lex)
- [GS1, EPCIS 2.0](https://ref.gs1.org/standards/epcis/), [CBV 2.0](https://ref.gs1.org/standards/cbv/) and [GS1 Digital Link](https://ref.gs1.org/standards/digital-link/uri-syntax/)
- [EDPB, Guidelines 02/2025 on blockchain and personal data](https://www.edpb.europa.eu/documents/guideline/guidelines-022025-on-processing-of-personal-data-through-blockchain_en)
- [ISBE network launch (Spanish)](https://redisbe.com/noticias/isbe-arranca-infraestructura-blockchain-espana/) and [ADM1010 fee policy](https://github.com/red-isbe/legal)
- [IBM, announcement AD25-0032](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/announcements/cloud-service-withdrawal-supply-chain-intelligence-suite-blockchain-transparent-supply-select-parts-withdrawal-sterling-order-management?region=US) (withdrawal of IBM Food Trust)

FAQ

## Frequently asked questions

**How much does a blockchain food traceability system cost?**

There are two cost lines. The network: on Spain's blockchain services infrastructure (ISBE), the ADM1010 v1.0 fee policy, dated December 16, 2025, provides for subscriptions from €500 a month for 50,000 transactions; there is no sign they are already being charged, and they may change (details in [joining ISBE: requirements and fees](/en/articulos/spain-isbe-onboarding-requirements-fees)). And the integration with ERP systems and data capture at each partner, which depends on your systems and is priced after the assessment.

**Does it work for a single company?**

Rarely. If you control the whole chain, a database with an immutable audit log does the same job for less. The exception is when an importer, a retailer or the consumer has to verify your records without taking your word for it: then anchoring the fingerprint of your events on ISBE or a public network is enough, with no consortium needed.

**What does the consumer see when scanning the QR code?**

A page for that specific batch, not for the brand: origin, dates, production steps, lab results or certifications and, if you want, a map of the route. The blockchain itself is not visible: the consumer sees the data and a check that it has not changed since it was recorded. A printed QR code can be copied; if counterfeiting is the risk, you also need a seal or a label that is hard to clone.

**Do the rules require blockchain?**

No. Regulation 178/2002, the beef, fisheries, wine and olive-oil rules and the deforestation regulation neither require nor mention it. They ask you to identify suppliers and customers, keep the data and, for fisheries, pass it on in digital form. Blockchain is one way to prove those records have not been tampered with, useful when several companies share them.

**Does it integrate with my existing ERP?**

Yes, and it has to: nobody is going to type every delivery note twice. Events are generated in EPCIS format from the ERP, the warehouse software or the packing line, through an API. Your ERP stays your management system; the shared ledger only receives what has to be shared with the other links in the chain.

This page is informative. It is not legal, tax or investment advice, and it does not replace a case-by-case review. The rules cited change: check the current version on [BOE](https://www.boe.es) and [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu).

RELATED SERVICES

[Blockchain traceability for supply chains](/en/servicios/sistema-trazabilidad-de-productos) [Traceability for EUDR compliance](/en/servicios/eudr-traceability) [Coffee and cocoa traceability for the EU](/en/servicios/coffee-cocoa-traceability) [Private blockchains](/en/servicios/blockchain-privadas)

[All blockchain services](/en/servicios)

GUIDES AND COMPARISONS

[Food traceability: what Regulation (EC) 178/2002 requires and how to build your plan](/en/articulos/food-traceability) [Blockchain in the supply chain: verified use cases, what shut down and the limits](/en/articulos/casos-de-uso-de-blockchain-en-la-cadena-de-suministro) [Product traceability: what it is, types and how to implement a traceability system](/en/articulos/product-traceability) [Traceability on Spain’s blockchain services infrastructure (ISBE): catalogue cases and how to deploy it](/en/articulos/traceability-spain-isbe)

YOUR PROJECT

## Tell us what you need to build.

Two lines are enough. We reply within 24 working hours with a first assessment and, if it fits, a slot to talk.

Free consultation No strings attached

[info@unknowngravity.com](mailto:info@unknowngravity.com)

Message sent!

We'll get back to you at the email you provided.

 [Prefer to talk now? Book a meeting](/en/meeting)

Something went wrong. Write to us at info@unknowngravity.com.