ID chips added to pigs in China

CHENGDU, China, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- A city official in Chengdu, China, said Friday that pigs are being tagged with identification chips to provide the public and officials with data.

An unidentified spokesman with Chengdu's food and drug administration the two identification chips will collect information on where pigs are sold, slaughtered, inspected and eventually sold for food, China's state-run Xinhua news agency said.

The spokesman said 45 Chengdu markets are selling pork from pigs that were tagged with the identification chips.

The chips are contained inside plastic rings that are fixed around the animal's hind legs and the devices are scanned during each pork sale.

The spokesman said all vendors are required to scan all pieces of pork into the market system, enabling officials to determine if any illegal pork products are being sold.

"The amount of pork sold must not exceed that of pork purchased. That way we make sure no pork comes from illegal channels," the official told Xinhua.