The Chinese formula scandal

Do you remember the awful Chinese infant formula scandal in 2008?

300,000 babies fell victim to melamine being added to baby formula. Melamine is a chemical used to produce plastics, which you'll find in your everyday whiteboard. When added to milk, the chemical appears to contain higher protein content, which was a dirty trick that led to many infants being hospitalized.

The effects of this scandal were felt worldwide, and they destroyed the reputation of China's food export industry! At least 11 countries refused to import dairy products from China. Chinese retailers would travel to Australia and other countries to buy huge stocks of their baby formula. And the Chinese government even executed several individuals involved in the scandal. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. Many other companies use illegal and immoral ingredients in their foods and other consumer products, often being discovered after it's too late.

That's where blockchain technology can come into action. It can help to remedy and prevent counterfeit consumer goods. A startup called WaBi is working on resolving these kinds of problems. By combining blockchain and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technologies, they can track and verify the authenticity of all ingredients and components used in consumer goods.