The agriculture ministry said Friday it will begin testing a computerized system that gives information on beef to consumers.
The trial run will be conducted on beef from Kagoshima Prefecture at a supermarket in Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.
The system will prompt consumers to enter a 10-digit identification number pasted on beef packages; it will then display information it has collected on the beef's origin, the breed of cow and the results of ministry tests for mad cow disease.