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The Hanoi People’s Committee has issued Plan No. 426/KH-UBND, launching a pilot food safety management and traceability system for livestock and poultry meat.
One of the initiative’s most notable features is its emergency response mechanism. When a food safety risk is detected, authorities can immediately halt circulation and lock the QR code of the affected batch directly within the system, preventing further distribution while investigations are underway.
Hanoi focuses on the meat supply chain
The pilot will focus on the livestock and poultry meat supply chain, particularly pork, a staple protein that accounts for a significant share of daily meals in the capital.
An inter-agency inspection team checks food safety conditions at a collective kitchen in Hanoi (Photo courtesy: Thu Minh – Bao ve Cong ly)
Under the plan, Hanoi will establish at least two fully linked supply chains in three to five communes and wards where all required participants are present.
Each model will include two farms, two centralized slaughterhouses, two distribution or primary processing units, a transport network, 20 retail outlets, including at least 10 stalls in traditional markets, and five collective kitchens.
The system will monitor products throughout the supply chain. Tracking will cover every stage, from input supply and farming to slaughter, transportation, processing, retail distribution and food service.
Emergency QR code lock to contain incidents
A key feature of the pilot is its built-in mechanism for rapid intervention and containment when incidents occur.
If a specialized regulatory agency detects signs of risk in a product batch or identifies a potential food safety incident, the system can immediately activate a ‘Suspend Circulation/Temporarily Lock Batch QR Code’ order, preventing further distribution while investigations are underway.
This allows authorities to contain potential food safety issues before products reach consumers. At the same time, the system can trace affected products back through the supply chain, enabling faster and more accurate recalls.
Flexible operation, easy to use for small traders and consumers
To reflect real-world operating conditions, the pilot adopts a flexible approach that emphasizes essential traceability requirements without creating unnecessary administrative burdens for businesses and supply chain participants.
The system records only basic farm identification information and the batch codes of products received or sold during slaughter operations.
Daily farm logbooks and the synchronization of historical production data are not mandatory. This is intended to simplify participation while maintaining traceability and accountability throughout the supply chain.
For products sourced from other provinces and cities, the system will rely on quarantine records and other valid documentation rather than waiting for inter-provincial data connectivity. This will allow products to be incorporated into the system without unnecessary delays.
The technical solution is designed to be simple and easy to operate on The technical platform has been designed for simple operation through smartphones and web browsers, making it accessible to a wide range of users.
Small traders and household businesses will receive hands-on training, including during night or early-morning slaughter shifts, enabling them to independently receive, divide, and hand over batches while complying with traceability requirements.
Consumers will also be able to verify product origins through the Hanoi Digital Citizen application, iHanoi, and the city’s web portal, giving them direct access to traceability information without downloading a separate app.
Pilot timeline and plans for expansion
The pilot will run for a minimum of 15 days, with a comprehensive review expected to be completed in November 2026.
The findings from the trial will provide a practical basis for Hanoi to refine its technical procedures and digital infrastructure. The city plans to use the results to support the eventual expansion of traceability and food safety management systems to additional food categories.