Food Quality Magazine October 2015 | Page 6

Food Quality Magazine agents legally but covertly conduct fraud intelligence investigations that put suppliers’ equipment, staff, and methods under a demanding lens. He feels that developments like Authenticateit are the key to fighting back against food fraud. “Authenticateit is a fantastic tool,” he says. “It’s the first tool out there that provides information that everyday customers can use to inform themselves about what’s in their food.” So what is Authenticateit? Authenticateit includes a free Smartphone App for consumers with a track and trace solution and the ability to enhance food chain transparency and digital chain of custody. It gives consumers access to product safety information, authenticity checks and other useful product information, such as certifications, nutritional content, allergens, traceability and, where relevant, recall information. The solution was developed by Authenticateit Pty. Ltd., an Australian company staffed by a team of experts in intellectual property, trademark protection, retail, e-com- Image credit: Authenticateit Pty. Ltd. 6 ISSUE 04 | OCTOBER 2015 merce, logistics and IT. The company, under the stewardship of company CEO Gennady Volchek, is determined to give brand owners a new tool for protecting their branded products, defend against counterfeiting and provide their consumers with endto-end transparency. Mr. Volchek shares GFSR’s mission of enhancing food safety in an increasingly complex global supply chain. “We are actively seeking opportunities to partner with organizations that are as determined as we are to advance the cause of consumer safety and reliability,” he says. “Our partnership with GFSR brings us a valuable connection to the people who are on the frontlines of food safety around the world and we appreciate the chance to further extend our solution to a very salient global issue.” This attitude is in complete alignment with Mitchell Weinberg’s vision for humanity. “The reason I got excited about Authenticateit initially was that it is something tangible that consumers can use to protect themselves,” he notes. “I am passionate about food safety and consumer health and the buck has to stop with businesses. This is a solution that they can use to increase transparency and ensure the foods people are eating are nutritious. “The number one risk to public food safety in the world today is that everybody is eating and therefore everybody is potentially at risk,” he says. Easy to use The Authenticateit solution operates in full compliance with industry standards, adopting the GS1 global supply chain standards. And it is easy to use: consumers simply scan the approved product’s barcode to get complete access to consumer-related information. The source company can choose to use the App to engage, from a marketing perspective, with consumers as well. It’s a unique, cost effective and robust option for addressing counterfeiting, providing recall alerts and nutritional information, saving time and ensuring consumers are protected from potentially unsafe and counterfeit products.