An experiment to track the distribution of farm products by attaching small integrated circuit tags to them was launched Thursday in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture.

The experiment, with the participation of the Yokosuka Hayama agricultural cooperative and three supermarkets in the Keikyu Store chain, is intended to record product information and help manage distribution, the organizers said.

The experiment was initiated by the T-Engine Forum, a consortium promoting application of the Japanese-made Tron operating system in networked household appliances.

It is financially supported by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry.

"This is a historic day as we launch the world's first experiment in which IC tags are attached to farm products through all distribution channels," Tron developer Ken Sakamura said at a ceremony at a supermarket in Yokohama.

Sakamura, a University of Tokyo professor, serves as chief of the T-Engine Forum.

An IC tag consists of an IC chip measuring 0.4 sq. mm and a tiny antenna for wireless communication.

In the experiment, which is to last through Feb. 6, IC tags are attached to cardboard boxes of vegetables, mainly cabbage and daikon, when they are shipped. The tags store product identification and other data.

When the vegetables are sold at retail outlets, separate IC tags are attached to each product. The tags can be scanned by reading equipment to let consumers know the distribution history of the products.