Strategies for Detecting Counterfeit Products in the Global Food Supply Chain

Abstract

The widespread issue of counterfeit products in India's food supply chain poses significant threats to product quality, food safety, and consumer trust. The study proposes a robust solution by combining blockchain technology with Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) to enhance security, transparency, and traceability in the food industry. By integrating a web-based verification tool with the Ethereum blockchain, the system establishes a tamper-proof, decentralized ledger that meticulously tracks the origin of products. A comprehensive web application is developed to facilitate product authentication through QR code technology. Key stakeholders, including the central government (CG), state governments (SG), and district-level Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs), utilize this platform to verify product authenticity at every stage of the supply chain, ensuring high data integrity and transparency. The system enables the central government, state governments, and APMCs to interact with the blockchain by adding their respective transaction blocks without modifying others' blocks. Contracts for each of these entities are developed and implemented, with Ganache utilized for local testing on a private network. The user interface, designed using React, leverages Web3.js to facilitate interactions with the Ethereum blockchain, MetaMask serves as the wallet for accessing the blockchain, with Ganache accounts imported for seamless integration. The CG logs in to generate a Quick Response(QR) code for each product and enters relevant product information. The SG scans the QR code to verify the product's authenticity and ensure it meets standards. The district APMC conducts the final verification, checking that the product's supply chain history aligns with its physical location. Blockchain technology improves counterfeit detection by providing a secure and transparent record of product provenance.