Technology giant IBM and Shangdong Commercial Group, a major retailer in China, have teamed up to build a pork traceability system in China’s Shandong Province. The new system is aimed at improving food safety and public confidence in pork after a series of high profile scandals involving illegal feed additives rocked the industry. Pork is a “major pillar” of the Shandong Province economy.

According to Wang Guo Li, director of the National Agricultural Research Center for Modern Logistics Engineering, the research arm of Lushang Group, – when fully deployed, this system will give consumers in the Shandong Province confidence in the pork products they serve to their families. The official adds, – as an agricultural powerhouse within China, our province is committed to improving food safety and this system marks a significant step toward that goal.”

How exactly does the system work? At slaughterhouses, each pig is tagged with a bar code and a unique serial number that follows through the supply chain all the way to the packed product. On top of tagging, cameras are used to monitor the production process. Temperature and humidity sensors are used to ensure meat is transported at the right temperature and GPS technology is used to track the location of product. According to IBM, if something goes awry, the system will send an alert to prompt corrective action.