Hong Kong Aquaculture Innovation Enables End-to-End Traceability Turn Traceability to Trust: Showcasing “Hong Kong Direct Supply” Freshness with 1QR

Background 

As consumers increasingly value food safety, origin and sustainability, “visible origins, verifiable certification and proven freshness” are becoming the new standard for seafood products. 

Hong Kong Aquaculture Innovation Limited is one of the registered fish farms under the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department’s “Accredited Fish Farm Scheme”. Centred on “local produce, food safety, high quality and low carbon”, the Scheme combines certification, testing, and traceability to deliver fresh, trusted, and environmentally responsible options to Hong Kong consumers. 

The company operates three marine farms—Mirs Bay South, Yim Tin Tsai West and Sham Wan in Sai Kung. Each embodies the brand’s commitment to modern, low-density farming and environmentally responsible aquaculture, helping build Hong Kong’s premium seafood supply system. Its local fish products are supplied to hotels, fine-dining restaurants, foodservice procurement and banquet operators, while also reaching consumers through chain supermarkets and e-commerce platforms. 

Freshness is everything in seafood. However, post-harvest traceability was often fragmented, tracking was limited and relied on manual records, reducing data accuracy and supply chain efficiency. 

The company therefore sought a digital solution that captures key data throughout farming, dispatch, logistics and retail, while also showcasing consumers with complete “ocean-to-table” information to strengthen confidence. 

Solution— Traceability and 1QR 

Following GS1 Hong Kong’s recommendation, Hong Kong Aquaculture Innovation’s White-Blotched Grouper participated in a traceability POC (Proof of Concept) project. They also leveraged QR codes powered by GS1, 1QR, to showcase traceability information to consumers, enhancing transparency and building trust. 

Digital Tracking & Traceability 

Each fish is identified and labelled using a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), together with batch number. RFID automates processes previously recorded manually and precisely tracks key timestamps, from harvesting, transportation and dispatch. This improves operational efficiency while proving direct-from-source freshness and ensuring efficient, on-time shipment. 

Their clients can thereby estimate delivery times and plan purchasing and stock preparation. The company can also identify logistics bottlenecks, optimise delivery routes and reduce losses during transportation. 

Building a Label of Confidence 

Freshness is paramount in seafood. To demonstrate its farm-to-table freshness, the company adopted 1QR on its products. By scanning the standardised QR code, consumers can access key information about the White-Blotched Grouper, including its origin, harvest, transport and dispatch times. Such precise time tracking helps prove the freshness of direct-from-source delivery. 

By scanning 1QR, consumers can also view product certifications, including the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department’s Accredited Fish Farm Scheme certification, verifying that the fish is locally produced in Hong Kong and meets stringent production and food safety standards, and has passed testing for specified veterinary drug residues, harmful substances and heavy metals. Consumer can also view internationally recognised food safety certifications such as ISO 22000 and HACCP, providing greater assurance in product quality, safety and provenance.

Advancing Carbon Reduction and Sustainability 

Beyond raising premium seafood, the brand is committed to sustainability across its operations, focusing not only farming well, but also about delivering on time, operating green and managing transparently. 

Through participation in GS1 Hong Kong’s ESG Scheme, the company leveraged GS1 HK’s assessment framework to evaluate its environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. The assessment provided actionable recommendations to enhance operational practices, helping the company streamline its dispatch processes, improve efficiency and reduce transportation-related carbon emissions.  

In the next phase, targeted for 2027, the brand aims to enable digital traceability across more fish farms, product lines and warehouses, or even delivering seamless visibility from vessel directly to customer. 

Benefits 

• Reduced product trace-back time from 6 hours to just 5 minutes, delivering a 72-fold increase in efficiency.
• Receiving, transshipment and dispatch processes became three times faster, helping preserve product freshness.
• Data accuracy improved from 90% to 99%.
• Real-time supply-chain visibility increased from 50% to 95%.
• Consumers can access product traceability, freshness information and food-safety certifications, boosting trust and confidence. 

Applied Standard or Solution/Service

• GS1 Barcode—Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)
• 1QR
• RFID 

Company Profile 

Founded by Hong Kong's post-80s generation of seafood aquaculture enthusiasts, Hong Kong Aquaculture Innovation has been committed to leading the future of sustainable seafood farming since 2022.  

The company owns three aquaculture farms in Hong Kong, including Hong Kong Mirs Bay South, Yim Tin Tsai West, and Sham Wan in Sai Kung, focusing on gradually modernizing their operations to provide fresh, high-quality, certified, and traceable fish products to meet the growing market demand. While enjoying delicious seafood, the public can also feel the commitment to safety and environmental protection, and practice sustainable development through deep-sea aquaculture.