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According to the Shengzhou Market Regulation Bureau, all 55 steamed bun producers in Shengzhou — a county-level city in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province — have adopted the "Shengzhou steamed bun code" since its pilot launch in March. Consumers have scanned the code more than 150,000 times to date.

Local specialties such as steamed buns have become pillar industries in Shengzhou. To improve standardization and supervision across the sector, the city launched the "steamed bun code", a digital governance system integrating six key functions, including ingredient traceability, workshop monitoring, and employee health management.

In local production workshops, high-definition cameras livestream chefs folding dough, while temperature and humidity sensors transmit real-time steaming data. Consumers can scan a code on each product to access its digital food safety certificate — including pork quarantine documents, pesticide residue test reports, and microbial inspection records.

The code also consolidates links to online stores, promotional coupons, and e-commerce channels, enabling one-click access for easy ordering.

The code's backend enables real-time monitoring of market trends. For example, if a brand suddenly raises its prices by 15 percent, the system sends an alert to regulators to trigger timely inspections.

A new credit rating mechanism is also in place, scoring each enterprise and adjusting inspection frequency based on their evaluation results — promoting healthy, standardized, and sustainable development in the industry.