DENVER, Colo. – Voluntary cattle identification is coming for American
beef producers.
Electronic tracebacks for animal health and for beef improvement plans
have been proposed under a set of preliminary standards.
“All these standards are intended to create additional producer value
by electronic transfer of individual animal attributes,” said Allen
Bright, chair of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s
identification standards committee, which has studied individual
identification for two years.
The proposed program should have the ability to collect information for
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quality assurance, food safety and animal movement.
Information may only be shared by agreement between a producer and his
customers.
Liability for health issues or food safety has also been considered as
resting with the seller of the animal.
“There is liability if you sell cattle that have a problem,” said
Bright. “You are still responsible. This makes liability come back a
little faster.”
The committee proposes a 15-digit identification number that meets
international standards.
It does not propose to store the information in a central database such
as those used in Canada or Great Britain. However, a third-party
verifier may have to be appointed to ensure the program remains
credible, even if information is stored in a variety of ways.
Producers are responsible for cross-referencing the identification
numbers with their own management numbers or purebred cattle registries.
Tags may not be removed until after slaughter. Data will be retained
for a minimum of 20 years and all participating systems must maintain
confidentiality.
