Abstract
The use of an electronic identification (EID) system in slaughter facilities holds great potential as a tool for animal and carcass traceability, if used as part of a comprehensive carcass tracking system. However, the correct association of each carcass with its individual EID tag number may be hindered at several points during the slaughter process. For 2,994 cattle slaughtered in 14 lots and bearing buttontype, full duplex EID ear tags, 113 (3.92%) had non-functional tags, 16 (0.53%) had no tag, and 37 extra head were introduced accidentally into one of our lots. Of the 2,994 carcasses, 71 (2.37%) were railed out for further trimming, 8 (0.27%) were retained for further inspection, 3 (0.10%) were condemned, and 1 carcass fell from the rail. For the plant in which data were collected, the hot-carcass scale operator ultimately had the responsibility for assuring that lots of carcasses accurately represented lots of cattle slaughtered. Although the current systems in some plants may be adequate for cattle traded on a live basis, they may not insure exact matching of live animals and their respective carcasses.
Highlights
Increased producer ownership through slaughter has revealed a need for accurate animal and carcass traceability from the standpoints of carcass merit, carcass payment, and meat safety
The correct association of each carcass with its individual electronic identification (EID) tag number may be hindered at several points during the slaughter process
For 2,994 cattle slaughtered in 14 lots and bearing buttontype, full duplex EID ear tags, 113 (3.92%) had non-functional tags, 16 (0.53%) had no tag, and 37 extra head were introduced accidentally into one of our lots
Summary
Increased producer ownership through slaughter has revealed a need for accurate animal and carcass traceability from the standpoints of carcass merit, carcass payment, and meat safety. Current protocols in many commercial beef processing plants, are inadequate to accurately trace carcasses back to individual live animals. Electronic identification (EID) use in slaughter facilities has shown great promise as a tool for traceability, if used as part of a comprehensive carcass tracking system. It is somewhat naive to assume that individual ear tags will always be read and matched exactly with carcass identification numbers. Potential exists for the sequence of carcasses moving through the slaughter floor to be altered from the sequence in which animals were slaughtered by one or more head per lot. Cattle may be reassociated with their lot only if each animal in that lot bears a common tag
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
