Italian pasta firm adds traceability to its packs

Italian pasta manufacturer Pastificio Liguori has revamped the packaging for its products, including a blockchain-powered QR code for the first time that can be used for full traceability “from the wheat field to the table.”

The code and blockchain contain all the pack information, starting from the origin of 100 per cent Italian wheat, according to the company, which says it “guarantees a complete tracking system of the entire production process” that complies with DNV food supply chain traceability standards. The new packaging is made from FSC-certified paper and is also 100 per cent recyclable.

Pastificio Liguori pasta is a premium product exemplified by its certified slow drying process, over nine to 18 hours at low temperatures, which the company says improves its organoleptic properties and retention of its nutritional content.

The high-protein durum wheat for its product range is grown only in the fields of Tavoliere delle Puglie, Basilicata and Molise.

“We decided to link the tradition and historicity of our product, to blockchain technology, greatly increasing the guarantee of transparency to protect consumers,” said the company. “Scanning the code will provide access to a range of information related to wheat traceability, from field coordinates to the pasta shape produced from the semolina obtained from the milling wheat.”

Pastificio Liguori has a history dating back more than 200 years and its products are the first and only dry pasta to have EU Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) certification, designed to protect consumers and the brand from counterfeiting and abuse.