HerdX, an agricultural technology and data company that created the first end-to-end solution from farm to table for beef and lamb products, and UPS recently celebrated the announcement of a global logistics partnership at a historic dinner event in Japan that featured blockchain-verified beef from the U.S. to Japan.

The groundbreaking type of delivery method has huge implications for the advancement of traceability and quality assurance for the entire food industry worldwide, the companies said.

HerdX’s HerdView system tracks animal movement, providing insights and herd management tools for farmers. A select piece of the data is uploaded to blockchain and travels through the entire supply chain, where the meat then is presented to the customer at a restaurant or grocery store. The customer is able to scan a quick-response code on the menu to view verified health and provenance data of the meat purchased.

“Over the past decade, the market has shifted rapidly as data-driven consumers are increasingly demanding to know more about the food they are buying,” Herd X said. “HerdX, as a third-party provider with a unique open-source platform, works with every participant along the intricate supply chain in order to supply provenance data to the end consumer.”

By creating a blockchain partner network, HerdX said it has been able to prove that the origins and journey of beef and lamb meat products are authentic and of higher quality.

UPS created a custom-integrated visibility tool that plugs into HerdX's blockchain technology and provides live updates and authenticated data points throughout the shipment journey.

HerdX founder and chief executive officer Ron Hicks stated, "UPS Logistics & Freight services more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, making it a perfect fit for HerdX. Our official international logistics partnership gives HerdX unprecedented scaling power, which, in turn, provides incredible expansion opportunities for American cattle producers.”

Through support from the U.S. Embassy in Japan, a special dinner event was held at Ruby Jack's, an ECN Hospitality steakhouse in Tokyo, Japan. U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified Black Angus beef from Creekstone Farms was shipped via air freight from Kansas to Japan wrapped in UPS Temperature True packaging. This advanced packaging technology contains sensors that monitor and record temperature throughout the shipment from origin to destination. Such data provide quality assurance that the meat never went above the required temperature.

HerdX said support from the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo was perfect timing, given the U.S. and Japan trade deal that was signed in New York in September. "The timing couldn't be more perfect to work together with both UPS and Japan companies to grow bilateral trade opportunities," HerdX said.

Romaine Seguin, UPS president of global freight forwarding, said, "We're committed to upholding HerdX's industry-leading quality assurance and traceability standards for all customers eyeing international growth moving forward.”