Smart Halal Traceability strategic initiative (Halal SmarTrace®) launched by EIAC, DIEDC and Dubai Municipality with Swiss company SICPA as technology partner

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, October 30, 2018

Constantly innovating to protect consumers, Dubai City of Sustainability and Happiness has taken the initiative to tackle the challenges posed by today’s complex supply chains in a globalised and digitised world. A smart track & trace system is being launched, designed to enable traceability for the consumers and authorities, as well as detect counterfeits and identify illicit goods. Though the initial focus shall be on the traceability of Halal products, be they food or other, the system is designed to be extendible to other product categories requiring traceability to ensure consumer safety. It will allow the authorities to significantly mitigate risks related to potential out of specs products and protect the legitimate economy.

On a worldwide basis there is much confusion regarding Halal products with over 150 different Halal marks in 48 countries, not to mention uncontrolled logos claiming unverifiable Halal conformity. This unfortunately creates an opaque environment where the consumer can be lost or even mislead as to the true Halal nature of the products he or she buys. Statistics show that counterfeit goods account for a huge proportion of Halal-marked goods globally. This can be a mix of Halal products which have not been certified properly meaning consumers have no access to the relevant information or outright misrepresentation and fraud.

The leading role taken by EIAC (Emirates International Accreditation Centre) ensures that the Halal SmarTrace® system integrates with internationally recognised accreditation and certification standards, specifically for ensuring that products bearing the Smart Halal label meet all the requirements associated with such a Halal mark. This initiative shall empower consumers by giving them assurance that the products they are buying are genuine by providing access to trusted and relevant data from a respected and recognized conformity assessment organisations, all in real time. SICPA shall also provide data integrity supported by Blockchain technology for specific sensitive data and documents, for example Halal slaughtering or witnessing certificates. Specifically, consumers shall benefit from:

Smart online access via smartphones (iOS and Android)

Multiple key data points become accessible meaning the consumer can access information beyond the basic product data shown on a standard printed product label.

- Key data from the supply chain and certification process becomes available such as:

- Halal Certification Body

- Accreditation Body information

- Key production data related to the Halal products conformity assessment

- Halal certificate data

- Technical and scientific details as we as the products test results (available for regulatory authorities)

The fact that information on ingredients and their origins becomes available supports ‘Farm to Table’ traceability objectives.

The platform shall also enable the national and international consumers to interact back to the authorities through their smartphones, or a dedicated webpage, to report any observed anomalies to the authorities through a reporting functionality including a picture of the suspicious product and geographical location. Halal SmarTrace® shall take food safety inspection and customs clearance to the next level by enabling the consumer to actively contribute to the inspection process.

SICPA’s smart track & trace technology called SICPATRACE^® guarantees the authenticity of goods as well as their conformity to standards of certification and accreditation. The smart labels used for tracking functions can be applied to a large variety of products such as packaged foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, dairy products or food supplements. The system will empower consumers who will be able to scan goods themselves using their smartphones to confirm their origin and relevant product information and detect potential uncertified products.

EIAC

The Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) was established pursuant to Law number (27) of 2015, issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, to become the governmental accreditation body of the Emirate of Dubai.

Its principal activity is to accredit Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs), both Governmental and Private, within the UAE and overseas, including Laboratories (Testing, Calibration and Medical), Inspection Bodies, Certification Bodies (Management System, Product Certification and Personal Certification), Halal Conformity Assessment Bodies, Proficiency Testing Program Providers, Reference Materials Production Activities, Validation and Verification Activities.

Its mission is to strengthen the UAE's position as a hub for the Islamic and global economy and to empower decision-makers to ensure the continued development of infrastructure for the well-being of society; through many internationally recognized accreditation services without borders.

SICPA

Founded in 1927 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, SICPA is the leading global provider of secured identification, traceability and authentication solutions and services. At the core of SICPA’s security expertise are high technology security inks that protect the majority of the world’s banknotes and value documents from the threats of counterfeiting and fraud.

SICPA’s secure track and trace technologies have a proven track record of facilitating identity protection, secure transactions and product integrity; the company has become a trusted advisor to governments, central banks, high security printers and industry. By combining material and digital security, SICPA protects over 80 billion products annually.

SICPA is an innovative company with offices and factories on five continents. With employees of over 50 nationalities in 35 offices the company provides technologies and services worldwide.