IIT-Delhi developing blockchain to plug adulteration of honey

Rahul Dewan, COO Srijan Technologies Pvt Ltd which is funding the study at the institute, says India’s internal quality and testing standards are not rigorous enough. “India’s honey entering into UK and EU has been under the scanner for adulteration and presence of antibiotics such as ‘streptomycin’… If importers and consumers around the world are able to trust the quality of the honey they are consuming, grassroot bee-keepers and bee-collectors get better rates,” said Dewan.

Kavya Dashora, assistant professor at the Center for Rural Development and Technology and the principal investigator in the project, said regular testing of each batch is not easy and is also expensive. “This is a business that runs on trust. Honey either comes from the wild or from apiaries. The produce can then travel through a number of hands and this is where the chance of adulteration is highest. A blockchain ledger records transactions at every stage of the value chain. This can enable the honey industry and exporters to establish trust as consumers can be sure of the origin and the journey from production to the counter,” Dashora said.