[Photo/VCG]

Zhejiang province recently launched Zhelenglian, a cold-chain food safety traceability system, to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The system, developed by Ant Financial, an arm of Alibaba, based on blockchain technology, is the first of its kind in China.

It will first be used to trace the information of imported raw aquatic products, from the supply end to the consumption end, including the exporting country, batch number, certificate of origin, date of manufacture, and expiration date.

The products will be given a code containing their information at the importing food companies or agricultural wholesale markets. Information will be renewed when they enter supermarkets and restaurants. Finally, consumers can scan the code and check all the information when buying the products.

Officials at the market supervision department of Zhejiang said they will next cooperate with local customs and commerce departments to improve and promote the system to ensure food safety.