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But everyone involved is entering the information into the same IBM software front-end ("Food Trust")... So all players involved are using the same front-end and the same back-end, and only Walmart & IBM have the ability to change anything. How does a blockchain benefit anyone (other than IBM) in this situation?

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Just guessing, but if appending to the chain requires signatures from IBM / Walmart, then all you need is to get the blockchain from somewhere, and you can verify it. With in-build non-repudiation.

This is of course also possible with signed responses to queries. I think the advantage here is that the signatures are build into the data-store. This just simplifies verification and replication.

I don't know the details of that particular system, but what you say doesn't necessarily preclude a block chain system.

It doesn't preclude it, sure, but what stinky613 said does mean that a blockchain does not offer particular advantages over a more traditional datastore (regardless of how that datastore is accessed). I believe that was their point: that in this situation, a blockchain requires more effort for no additional benefit.

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