Efforts will be made to accelerate the development of cold chain logistics, according to a plan issued by the State Council on April 21.

The move will improve standards, infrastructure, and regulation regarding cold chain logistics, in a bid to ensure food safety and promote efficiency and service standards in the industry.

By 2020, an improved cold chain logistics service system that features whole-process temperature control and high standards will be established, according to the plan.

Cold chain logistics standards will be improved with efforts to coordinate all kinds of domestic cold chain logistics standards with international standards.

In addition, on the basis of laws regarding food security, agricultural products security, and standardization, mandatory standards will be implemented in the practice of temperature control of perishable foods such as fresh meat, aquatic products, and dairy products.

Large logistics and agricultural product processing companies are encouraged to form company standards that are higher than national and industrial standards.

The mechanism of whole-process temperature record will be set up, and the records will be kept for more than six months beyond the product shelf life.

A network of cold chain logistics infrastructure will be set up, covering major food producing and consuming regions across the country.

Furthermore, a group of cold chain logistics parks will be constructed in major locations and large and middle-size cities.

Large food processing and chain-store companies are encouraged to build cold chain logistics infrastructure such as parking and unloading facilities.

Cold chain logistics companies are encouraged to share infrastructure, producing and design, and research resources with companies in the sectors of producing, processing and circulation of agricultural products.

Advanced technologies of GPS, Internet of Things, mobile internet and big data will be applied in cold chain logistics.

Innovation will be encouraged in cold chain logistics as efforts are strengthened in biological study of perishable agricultural products and foods, and safe and energy-efficient refrigeration technologies.

Regulation will also be enhanced for the source and destination of cold chain logistics.