New Zealand government-owned food safety and quality assurance company AsureQuality has officially signed a strategic alliance with Australian product authenticity, protection and traceability technology firm, Authenticateit.
The global food sector is experiencing significant change as a result of increasing demands from regulators and consumers. Both parties are increasingly calling for greater oversight and transparency of supply chains to ensure product safety, quality and authenticity. In light of these growing concerns and anticipated regulatory changes, this agreement brings together the expertise of both parties to produce a single unique solution for government bodies, manufacturers and consumers worldwide.
The combined proposition of inSight’s independent product supply chain verification and Authenticateit’s traceability, authenticity and consumer engagement application represents an unrivalled evolution in product assurance. By downloading the Authenticateit application and scanning the code on product packaging with a mobile device, consumers can access the item’s real-time GPS track and trace function, in addition to the food safety and quality information verified by AsureQuality inSight™. This is a simple way to interrogate product authenticity at port of entry, and point of sale.
AsureQuality’s CEO John McKay said, “Having canvassed all available offerings within the product authentication technology space, AsureQuality has found Authenticateit to represent best practice in the areas of traceability and anti-counterfeiting. The integration of AsureQuality inSight™ and Authenticateit is an exciting development for us. This new combined offering enables the food sector to provide trading partners and consumers with the highest level of confidence in their products.”
Similarly, Gennady Volchek, CEO of Authenticateit, believes the agreement will create greater value for the company’s users, “It’s a very important milestone for Authenticateit to partner and integrate with food safety and quality leader AsureQuality. Being able to extend independently verified, trusted information to a consumer about a product, including raw material certification, proof of origin and other vital information, adds another dimension to the value that consumers receive in using the Authenticateit App within their shopping experience. This partnership enables brands to further boost consumer confidence and increase their ROI for certifications.”
The strategic alliance increases the reach of the two companies. Combined they offer a global coverage with office representation in eight countries across Europe, Asia, Australasia and South America.
About AsureQuality
AsureQuality is a commercial company wholly owned by the New Zealand government. It provides food safety and biosecurity services to the food and primary production sectors worldwide.
Every day its experienced team of 1700 experts based at over 100 locations throughout Australasia, Singapore, Middle East and China works alongside customers in over 40 countries to assure the safety and quality of food being produced for millions of people. Its skilled staff and extensive accreditations enable it to audit, inspect, test, verify and certify food safety and quality and management systems from the farm right to the supermarket shelf.
Visit www.asurequality.com
About Authenticateit
Authenticateit Pty. Ltd. is an Australian company created by a team of experts in Intellectual property, trademark protection, retail, e-commerce, logistics and IT. The team, in response to the growing concern of counterfeited products, developed the first of its kind cloud-based traceability and serialisation platform built on industry standards of EPCIS. Authenticateit’s front-end free smartphone application enables consumers to verify a product’s authenticity and product recall status prior to purchase in both retail and online environments. Authenticateit is a universal solution and has been successfully deployed in a number of different sectors including, footwear, clothing, and luxury goods, as well meat and dairy.
Visit www.authenticateit.com
