(Yicai Global) Nov. 25 -- A number of cities in China have started to set up special warehouse management systems for imported frozen foodstuffs, following recent cases of the coronavirus being detected on packaging.

Shandong province, China’s main entry point for seafood imports, announced yesterday that each of its cities that brings in frozen foods from overseas should use a cold-chain food warehouse management system from Dec. 10.

Before that date, the provincial government ordered cities to use existing large-scale cold storage and freezing facilities to establish centralized supervision and control warehouses for imported cold-chain foods. Items should also be disinfected in warehouses and undergo nucleic acid testing.

A number of provinces have reported positive nucleic acid test results for the coronavirus on imported frozen foods and packaging, raising public concern.

In addition to Shandong, Shenzhen in southern China, Nanjing in the east and Taiyuan in the north have also begun centralized supervision and management of imported cold-chain produce. Shanghai introduced similar measures earlier this month.

Shenzhen, the first city to establish a supervisory warehouse system, has stored a total of 72,792 tons of imported frozen foods in these facilities since mid-August. According to local data, regulators have successfully intercepted 1,390 frozen food items that tested positive for the virus.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Tom Litting