The lasers burn unique tracking codes onto the pig’s skin, an imprint readily visible with blue LED lighting.
China has been beset in recent years with a number of food scandals; the recent Clenbuterol feeding scandal appears to have been the tipping point, resulting in a government crackdown on erring food producers.
Introducing this additional measure to track and trace food products from farm pen to supermarket shelf, it is hoped that this will aid investigation and sourcing of food contamination, and by doing so, help allay consumer fears of poisoning.
Most of the pork consumed in China is still purchased from fresh foods markets; the labelling scheme has been largely applied to those pigs destined for supermarket shelves, the shopping domain of China’s burgeoning middle class.
The Beijing government hopes to have all the city’s supermarkets and 80 % of the markets under the labelling scheme within three years.
It has to date invested some US$160,000 into the project.
Nationally, meat monitoring will become mandatory for all cities with populations greater than 1.5 million in the next five years.
Source: Smartplanet.com
