Lidl’s New Blockchain Olive Oil: Transparency or Just a Gimmick?

Lidl launched blockchain-tracked olive oil as its new addition to enable shoppers to follow the journey from the olive grove to the store shelf.

Recent deployment of blockchain-tracked olive oil is an improvement in food authenticity or it’s a planned advertising strategy.

Blockchain olive oil functions by maintaining an unalterable record system that indicates all the production steps from source to processing to quality assessment. The barcode feature enables customers to view real-time data on supply chain operations and sustainability measures.

The application of tracking sounds promising to the public, but the critics are concerned that it can be used as a marketing gadget rather than an imperative feature.

The ordinary consumer purchasing olive oil doesn’t need information about every stage in their product’s supply chain. The premium paid for the use of blockchain makes the consumers wonder whether this step is done for their benefit, or just marketing for Lidl’s position in Britain’s food retailing.

This strategic move is a reflection of a new industry trend because technology-enabled food traceability systems will be a permanent presence in the market.

Do you see this as a food transparency revolution or another label?