The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to create a database of farmers, food manufacturers and distributors to enable consumers to track the production process and confirm food safety, according to officials.
The plan follows the 2001 outbreak of mad cow disease and bird flu outbreaks this year. Those registered in the database will be allowed to display stickers on their products to inform consumers that data on them is available online.
The metropolitan government will begin accepting applications from farmers and businesses nationwide on April 19, hoping to get up to 300 participants in the initial year.
The database will contain such information as types of pesticides used for vegetables, records of medical treatment for cattle, and raw materials and food additives in processed food.