Italian producers are embracing blockchain technology to combat counterfeiting of their renowned Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

By integrating edible microchips into the 90-pound wheels, they've established a means to differentiate authentic Parmigiano Reggiano from counterfeit alternatives.

These novel silicon microchips, developed by the Chicago-based firm p-Chip, employ blockchain to verify data that can be traced back to the milk producer.

These chips, known as p-Chips, have been subjected to rigorous testing during a year-long pilot project involving over 100,000 Parmigiano wheels.

The microchips, which are integrated onto the cheese wheels' casein labels, are designed to endure varying temperatures and even prolonged storage in liquid nitrogen.

Multi-Tracking Technology

Additionally, alongside the microchips, QR codes are employed, although they can be copied and deteriorate over the cheese aging process.

The chips are affixed to a casein label using a heated robot, with the uniqueness of being "edible."

However, remote reading of the blockchain-connected chips is not feasible.

Tests have verified that the microchips are unreadable once ingested, dismissing the notion of human tracking through consumption