Beijing will apply barcodes to batches of 150 kinds of vegetables that will be served up in the Chinese capital during the 2008 Olympics.

The barcoding process is considered an effective way to track the origins of any food safety emergencies that may occur during the global sporting event, said Zhang Baohai, a specialist with the municipal vegetable research center.

In preparation for the Olympic Games, the municipal vegetable research center began to grow a great variety of vegetables imported from 34 foreign countries in 2003.

The imported vegetables include artichoke and Swiss chard and will be cooked up in Olympic kitchens after thorough inspections.

Around 100 varieties of the foreign vegetables have now adapted to the Beijing soil and dozens of varieties are now on sale in the capital's local markets.

It is estimated that Beijing will need more than 5,000 tons of vegetables during the 2008 Olympics, mostly supplied from regions surrounding Beijing.

(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2006)