Last January, Grands Moulins de Paris, a company within the VIVESCIA Cooperative Group, unveiled its new brand platform, featuring a new visual identity and a new tagline: “A grain of boldness, a choice for the future.” This was an opportunity for the company to reaffirm its core values and, beyond the taste experience offered by its products, to highlight three of its key commitments: transparency, authenticity, and purpose. This commitment is exemplified in particular by the integration of blockchain technology, now available on Francine organic flour.
Changing expectations among all stakeholders in the food supply chain
While consumer expectations regarding food have always been high, their priorities have evolved alongside changes in the society in which we live. Today, issues of trust and traceability are at the heart of these expectations, and many (91%¹) are calling for greater transparency regarding food products.
“This expectation is all the more pronounced in an unprecedented and anxiety-inducing health crisis, where consumers need clear, accessible guidance and transparency,” emphasizes Pierre Garcia, CEO of Grands Moulins de Paris.
A call for transparency that is also supported by stakeholders in the food industry.
“Today, a climate of mistrust sometimes affects those in the industry who, despite this, dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to their work every day—work that is not always given the recognition it deserves. Making the commitment and expertise of partner farmers—and, more broadly, of every link in the chain—accessible and visible, while offering consumers the opportunity to trace the journey from farm to fork, is therefore a choice that benefits everyone, ”continues Pierre Garcia.
Blockchain technology supporting the "À TABLE" initiative
“À table” is the name of Grands Moulins de Paris’s CSR initiative, launched in 2019 to mark its centennial. With an eye toward the future, this initiative is based on three strong commitments designed to meet the expectations of French consumers and guide Grands Moulins de Paris’s actions towardresponsiblefood production:
– Eat a balanced diet
– Improve quality of life
– Contribute to a healthier future
The integration of blockchain technology is now playing a key role in this initiative.
Traceability and showcasing expertise: Francine adopts blockchain technology for its organic flour
In partnership with Connecting Food, a French company rankedfirst in the “Food Safety andTraceability” category,² Grands Moulins de Paris has therefore decided to implement blockchain technology for its Francine organic flour. A QR code allows consumers to access the product’s full traceability with a simple scan.
The principle is simple: a scan of the QR code on the front of each bag displays a webapp, in which the consumer enters the batch number to reveal the complete, transparent traceability of the product, from the origin of the wheat used to the bagging of the flour.
The digital platform using blockchain technology plays the role of third-party transparency. It guarantees the reliability of value chain data and provides proof of the brand promises displayed on the sachet.
"Blockchain technology ensures verified and tamper-proof data. It enables batch-by-batch traceability of our organic flour, detailing the product’s journey from grain to bagging. It also highlights compliance with our specifications—100% French-grown wheat from organic farming—and showcases the commitment of our partner farmers through testimonial videos. Another advantage is that the web app offers access to the Francine universe and, via a chatbot, provides recipe ideas to add variety to your meals!”explains Claire Madoré, Director of Marketing & E-Business and Sales Director for Supermarkets at Grands Moulins de Paris.
About Grands Moulins de Paris:
For over 100 years, Grands Moulins de Paris has been selecting the finest French wheat to produce high-quality flours and milling blends. We bring together hands-on, passionate professionals who combine skills, interpersonal skills, and expertise to support the daily success of our clients: artisanal bakeries, the food industry, mass retailers, and international partners. We promote French baking expertise, notably through our consumer brands Francine and Campaillette. We are proud to be part of a network of 10,500 farmers in northeastern France—owners of the VIVESCIA cooperative group—who carefully cultivate the grain.
About Connecting Food:
Founded in 2016 by two experts in the food industry, Connecting Food is a French company and Europe’s first blockchain platform exclusively dedicated to the food sector. Capable of providing real-time traceability of production chains and digital audits of their specifications, the platform is now used by major players in both the cooperative and industrial sectors. In 2021, the Connecting Food team consists of 30 employees based in Paris, France, and Milan, Italy.
1 Kantar Food 360° Study – 2020
2 FoodTech 500 Ranking – January 2020
