Product Recall with a blockchain fix.

November 02, 2019

There is a certain level of trust a consumer has when they purchase a product, not only do we expect the product to work as advertised, but they must also do no harm to the purchaser. If a product is flammable or combustible there are always warning labels so you know to take the proper precautions but occasionally, you’ll find an item that couldn’t possibly be dangerous in any way and yet some of these are the deadliest of all.

Recently discovered in an article published on Smart Company our fears are made real as statistics show there are hundreds of unsafe products littered out there just waiting to malfunction, imploding our lives and that of our loved ones.

“New figures released by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Monday reveal as many as half of the 6.6 million products currently under voluntary recall are still likely in Australian homes.” More to the story here

For a product to be recalled, there must be some serious fault with the product, enough for this to be a real concern moving forward. Within the article, there was a call for change, an issue has been identified, one so serious it must now be resolved, highlighting the articles truths about how many people might be in unsuspecting danger. The information shared has many scrambling for a solution, but not much has been put forward in way of combating the current crisis as products continue to stream into Australia causing harm to its citizens.

“ACCC research canvassed by Treasury in recent weeks reveals unsafe products are estimated to cost the Australian economy $5 billion annually, causing about 780 deaths and 52,000 injuries. About 650 consumer product recalls are issued each year, but because only half of the affected products are returned to sellers, about a quarter of households remain exposed to potential hazards, the ACCC said.” More to the story here

Without dwelling on how this has been allowed to escalate to these types of figures, the message is clear that they cannot be allowed to continue. With technological advancements in this day and age, the implementation of new and improved safety product recall technology just might be what Australia needs to protect its people from the unknown. Many are already using this type of revolutionary technology for product tracking and traceability with GPS time and location stamps and change of state selections for owner and supplier transports, but the larger issue we are combating is the availability of information to the supplier and consumer.

“Under one version of the plan, companies would be forced to abide by new prescriptive product safety standards, while another would see the ACCC given product intervention powers, similar to those recently extended to corporate regulator ASIC.” More to the story here

What would new safety standards include? 

Better approval of products entering the country and the power to set certain standards and guidelines within Australia, combined with more advanced technology tailored to product safety information and recall solutions, the concern would plummet as finding out about a product and its safety information would be as easy as taking out your smartphone and scanning the product. Within you could see batch information, safety, and product information and even if it has been recalled.

This type of revolutionary technology is within reach, it is proven and available right now, with many already using the technology.

Let’s take something one would normally assume to be safe. Frozen Fruit. Most would think it’s quite safe, but not long ago in Australia, there was a Hepatitis A scare, which prompted Creative Gourmet to recall frozen berries. 
 
 “The maker of Creative Gourmet mixed berries has recalled a “relatively small batch” of its 300g product sold in independent supermarkets across Australia as a precaution after it was linked to three cases of hepatitis A.” Full story here.

Now scan the QR code on the package for yourself and see how it would work.

The information would be accessible by downloading any standard QR code reading app on any smartphone or download the free VeriDoc Global App from the Play or App store, you then scan VeriDoc Globals QR code and received the necessary information, with the image provided above.

VeriDoc Globals blockchain technology and patented QR code implementation could be the technology that turns the tide for product safety, exceeding expectations by tailoring the advanced technology for any product solution, including product recall.

The patented QR code is the embedding of a QR code on an item with a unique digital hash inside the QR code. The hash holds information that is then placed on the blockchain network for security and authentication. The technology allows for VeriDoc Global to customize the storage of necessary information on a blockchain network, an unchangeable and immutable technology.

With the example above you can see how easy it would be to combat the products endangering us all, with a simple scan a wealth of information that can be verified. Technology is simply enriching and growing that trust through transparency. The product quality and safety information would be freely accessible anywhere anytime but we are not just talking about how easy it is to use the technology, it’s about how many people it would save. Maybe you, maybe me, either way, the change is inevitable.

This article was written by Reneé K. To learn more about VeriDoc Global’s software and how it can be of benefit to you or your organization, please visit the website at www.veridocglobal.com