A pilot batch of traceable vegetables has been launched in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, according to Tuoi Tre News.
Consumers are now able to scan QR codes on packaged vegetables at select supermarkets to access information on the where the vegetables were grown, packaged and distributed, as well as any information on pesticides or fertilisers used.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) will expand the programme in April, offering the traceable vegetables at all VietGAP-certified cooperatives in Ho Chi Minh City as part of a programme to build consumers’ trust in food safety.
The programme builds on a similar traceability programme rolled out on 1 January, which allowed consumers in Ho Chi Minh City to scan QR codes on packaged pork using a free mobile app to see the origin and journey of the product.
DARD director Nguyen Phuoc Trung told the news site that 1m tonnes of vegetables are consumed in the city each year, 24 per cent of which are produced locally.
