Internet data bank for livestock

Food processors will now be able to tell where their meat supplies originated just by scanning the ears of the livestock and plugging a number into an Internet data bank from Scoring System. The system speeds up the process of tracing the history of an animal. The free system has been set up by ScoringAg as part of the company's expansion of its online tracking and traceability system for food supply chains. http://www.cattlerange.com/tcr-mercantile/Scoring-Ag/scoring-system.html

"Without efficient, effective data collection system and a Web-based data management system, tagging livestock and other agriculture items cannot provide true animal traceback and traceup - even when a local, resident software system and database is used," ScoringSystem stated in a press release. "A Web-based system makes it possible for records to move with the individual product, which cuts the time required for source verification to just seconds."

The EU and the US have adopted similar rules that require food companies to keep records of the operator immediately before them in the supply chain and the operator immediately after them. With ScoringAg's system, processors can scan the animals radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or its barcode tag and put the number into the company's search page at www.ScoringAg.com. The number can also be seen visually and entered manually.

Instead of waiting for hours or days, the ScoringAg system delivers the information in a matter of seconds. The Public Records pages also show a photo of the animal, giving an additional means of animal ID when ear tags are lost or stolen, and only unique identifying characteristics can give positive ID for the animal. The site will provide the public information available for the animal such as, breed, other ID tag data, name, date of birth, sex, brand, tattoo, color, and dam and sire names. For paid subscribers to the service, ScoringAg will also provide the animal's traceback history from origin to current status is displayed by unique premises ID (PIDC), activity name, and activity date and time. The numbers can also be put into the site using a cell phone.

ScoringSystem's PIDC traceability system uses the ISO standard for location and property identification. However ScoringSystem has developed a more comprehensive system to define all land and sea locations globally, including those areas that are not recognised or covered by the ISO standard, the UN and other international organisations.