BEIJING - Beijing has launched an online tracing platform to strengthen the supervision of imported cold-chain foods amid the COVID-19 pandemic, local authorities have said.

Producers and marketers of imported frozen meat and aquatic products in Beijing are required to register on the platform, according to a circular jointly released by the municipal administration for market regulation and the municipal commerce bureau.

These companies should from Nov 1 upload sources, circulations and other tracing data for imported frozen meat and aquatic products to the platform. Products should be labeled with corresponding tracing codes generated by the platform.

Food companies should not purchase, sell or process products without archiving tracing data on the platform, said the municipal administration for market regulation.

Customers can use WeChat or Alipay mini-programs on their phones to scan the tracing codes on product packages or freezers in markets, obtaining the quality safety information and tracing data for the imported frozen meat and aquatic products they are about to buy.

Relevant government departments in Beijing will step up supervision and inspection efforts, and expand product coverage on the tracing platform.