It's not barbecued but bar-coded. Pork that carries a digital
identification number, allowing consumers to log on to the Internet
to check quality and safety information, went on sale yesterday in
east China on the eve of the Year of the Pig.
The pork, which is produced by the biggest pig processing plant
in Haiyan County, Zhejiang Qinglian Food Co Ltd, was available in
more than 170 franchised stores in Zhejiang Province and Shanghai yesterday.
The company records detailed information about the pigs after
they enter the abattoirs. The pork is priced two yuan
(US$0.26)?higher per kilo than meat without the barcode,
according to the company.
This is the first time that Chinese consumers have been able to
log on to the Internet to find out whether the meat they are eating
contains unhealthy additives, antibiotics, or traces of heavy
metals. They can even trace the people who fed the pigs and
quarantined them.
A wholesale market in Shanghai signed a contract worth 500
million yuan (US$ 64.5 million) with the company yesterday to buy
500,000 such pigs in 2007.
Zhejiang Qinglian Food Co Ltd?has been developing an
enterprise resource planning system for over a year and 4,000 pig
farmers, 60 percent of the county total, are registered in the
system.
Administrators will easily be able to trace people responsible
if a food safety accident occurs thanks to the digital identity
system, said Sheng Yongjun, deputy head of Haiyan County.
"The system guarantees the safety of the meat products,
increases farmers' income, and sets consumers' minds at ease," said
Sheng.
The county will promote the digital identity system to other
farmers and abattoirs to improve meat safety, said Sheng.
(Xinhua News Agency February 9, 2007)