SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S. — Consumers are able to trace the chain of production for ingredients in certain Barilla Group products through a technology platform called Safety for Food (S4F). Consumers may scan a QR code on the back of limited edition Farfalle Pasta and Tomato and Basil Sauce packages to access a web site, which then analyzes the phases of a specific production batch’s supply chain.

For example, consumers may learn where the durum in a product was grown, how the durum was cultivated and harvested, and how the finished product was packaged and labeled. The integrated tracking system helps to combat counterfeiting in the supply chain, according to the Barilla Group.

“Through this innovative initiative, we aim to not only provide greater transparency and safety in the supply chain but to also give consumers a greater connection to their food,” said Giorgio Beltrami, quality, food safety and regulatory global director of Barilla, a global pasta, pasta sauce and baked food company based in Italy.

Barilla worked with Cisco, a San Jose, California, U.S.-based global IT company; Penelope S.p.A., an Italian management consulting company; and NTT DATA, an IT services provider, to implement the Safety for Food platform. Penelope S.p.A. developed ValueGo, the software that powers Safety for Food. Cisco has collaborated with non-governmental organizations, technology partners and experts in food supply chains to create the Safety for Food platform, which provides access to data from across the entire agricultural food chain.