PwC, Merck, and Hashgraph Group pilot cocoa traceability system
The Hashgraph Group, in collaboration with Merck and with consulting and implementation support from PwC Germany, is piloting a cocoa traceability solution. This solution combines Merck's M-Trust physical authentication technology with the TrackTrace digital product passport platform based on the Hedera network, aiming to verify the origin, authenticity, quality, recall requirements, and compliance data of cocoa from farm to consumer.Cocoa is one of the seven commodities covered by the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). According to the rescheduled arrangement reached in December 2025, large operators and traders must fulfill their obligations starting from December 30, 2026, while micro and small operators will be subject to this from June 30, 2027. The solution also aligns with the direction of promoting digital product passports under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR); however, food and feed are currently explicitly excluded from the scope of the ESPR, and for cocoa, EUDR due diligence remains a recent binding requirement.Partners indicate that this framework is not limited to cocoa and can be expanded to areas such as pharmaceuticals, luxury goods, and industrial components in the future. Husen Kapasi, head of PwC Germany's enterprise blockchain business, pointed out that this solution has verifiability and can play a key role in food recalls or compliance investigations.
