MeatTrac

Traceability from the animal to the meat counter

MeatTrac was started against the backdrop of the enormous costs and demanding regulations arising from various animal diseases and foodstuff scandals in Europe. With modern technology and a standard for traceability and food safety that exceeds today’s requirements, we can cut costs and help our customers improve their productivity.

Traceability and labeling of animals and meat all the way up the final packaging of meat cuts can be divided into three separate technical areas.

1. Labeling of animals

Electronic labeling of animals is done by equipping the animals with RFID transponders. The transponder can be attached to the animal´s ear or placed in the intestinal packet in a glass ampule. A bolus transponder can be permanently placed in the reticulum (second stomach) of ruminant animals. For cattle and sheep, bolus transponders have several advantages compared to ear tagging, including drastically reduced risks of botched labeling as well as loosened or lost tags. It also makes readings easier to take and more secure.

The identity of the animal can thereafter immediately be determined every time a reading is taken up until the time of butchering. In addition to secure identification, there are also several logistical advantages during processing. At slaughter, a reading can be taken both as a control measure and to automatically forward the identity of the animal to the rest of the production chain.

TracTechnology is currently undertaking pilot programs for the electronic marking of cattle, including the development of applications.

2. Labeling of carcasses

An animal’s carcass can be identified through the application of the RFID transponder to the carcass itself or to hooks linked to the identity of each animal carcass. Transfer of the identity upon hanging, rehanging and cutting with the hooks that are normally used takes place easily and securely because the task is completed within virtual identity zones.

In some facilities, the RFID transponders can also be used as information transmitters for the animal parts, therefore reducing the dependence on computer support and installations for some stages of production.

3. Labeling upon butchering

Maintaining traceability throughout the butchering and packaging process can occur in a number of different ways. Traceability can be maintained without specific technical aids if meat cuts from each animal are kept together from cutting to packaging. One way to do this would be to use a trace-back system. This process places special requirements on the design and layout of the facility. Traceability can also be maintained at the individual level using labeling of the individual cut parts and at the group level by labeling the containers.

Electronic labeling of cut parts provides the greatest opportunity of the described methods to make the cutting process and wage system more efficient without entailing great costs in redesigning and restructuring the existing workflows.