The General Office of the State Council recently released a first of its kind five-year plan for the development of cold chain logistics, proposing a nationwide cold chain food traceability supervision system based on the existing traceability and management mechanism for imported cold chain foods.

From primary agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs and aquatic products to processed foods, most cold chain foods are handled by the cold chain logistics industry. Which reduces waste and pollution.

China attaches great importance to cold chain food management. The traceability management system for imported cold chain food that became operational last year has been not only playing an important role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, but also making important contributions to maintaining food safety.

Once the novel coronavirus is detected in some imported cold chain food, the traceability management system helps trace its source.

However considering that domestic cold chain foods have not been included in the traceability management system, the State Council has proposed that a cold chain logistics network connecting production and marketing, urban and rural areas, and domestic and international cold chain logistics be established by 2025.

The inclusion of both imported and domestic cold chain foods in the system will not only make consumers feel more confident about their quality but also strengthen supervision of cold chain foods and prevent the spread of diseases.

However, irrespective of whether cold chain foods are imported or produced at home, every link in the logistics chain, from food processing, storage and transportation to distribution and retail, should meet the traceability standards.

Since the supply of all cold chain foods involves many links, if the collection and management of traceability data in a link is incomplete or inaccurate, it could create problems for food safety management and epidemic prevention and control.

Hopefully, unified standards will be used to manage the nationwide cold-chain food traceability supervision system.

As for local governments, they should properly train and guide personnel, and strengthen supervision in order to prevent food safety scandals.

When both imported and domestic cold chain foods are put under the closed-loop management of a multi-layer, nationwide cold chain logistics traceability system, China's food safety and epidemic prevention and control will reach a new level.