Traceability

BSE and other disease threats force us to add this word to our vocabulary.

Traceability, a word totally foreign to the vocabulary of most dairy producers a few years ago, has become a term that you now hear at least once a day and often more. Once viewed by some as a needless bother of keeping more records and an extra expense for ear tags, traceability has become a vital economic issue.

Other countries are recognizing Canada as having a universal cattle identification system—a key factor in re-opening U.S. and Mexican markets for selected beef cuts. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency reports a compliance rate of 95 per cent or more for approved identification tags at sales barns and slaughter houses.

The dairy industry is close to having a completely traceable identification system from birth through to the marketplace, and is ahead of the other livestock groups. A high percentage of dairy producers participate in dairy herd improvement (DHI), and breed improvement and purebred cattle programs. They already keep appropriate records. This has ensured a large number of dairy cattle are tagged and recorded shortly after birth.

DHI and breed associations accept and use the National Livestock Identification (NLID) number as a unique identifier in their record systems. In fact, since Jan. 1, 2002, breed associations require tagging calves before they can be registered.

The requirement for positive identification in our milk recording system, in which 70 per cent of Canadian dairy herds participate, has made the concept of tracing cows a reality. The cow found to have bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Washington state last December had a DHI identification tag, which predated the NLID program. This resulted in rapid trace-backs, and identification of herd-mates and offspring through the DHI records and database.

Proper identification and traceability is like a safety net for every livestock producer. For example, one male offspring of the Washington State cow had been sold to a feedlot. That calf had no identification tag. As a precaution, U.S. authorities had more than 400 head of stock in that feedlot destroyed, mainly because they couldn't identify that single calf.

In Canada, federal regulations dictate that no cattle in Canada can be moved from the herd of origin without an approved tag. This also makes economic sense, and it's of utmost importance that feedlot and veal operation owners not accept untagged cattle.

Age of cattle going to slaughter has also become a big issue. First, we have to be able to link tags to a database that proves an animal's age. Ear tags alone aren't enough. We need all dairy cattle linked to the database to provide this information. The next step is to demonstrate to inspection officials that accurate identification linked to birth date must be taken as authority over estimating age from teeth.

The NLID program for dairy animals requires that tags be registered to the farm of origin. Tag numbers can then be traced back to the registry when the animal is slaughtered. Regulations state that cattle must be identified with an approved tag at the time they move off the farm of origin. These regulations don’t permit movement of an untagged animal. Anyone doing so could be subject to a fine.

The principle is this: If a problem is discovered at slaughter, such as a serious contagious disease, authorities can readily identify the herd of origin. If the cow has been moved to other premises before slaughter, they can be identified too.

Farm records are crucial to tracing movements of cattle, even dead stock. The Events Barn Calendar, supplied free to all dairy producers in Ontario and some other provinces, provides a convenient record of cattle movement on and off farms.

Here are some aspects of traceability where there are ongoing efforts for improvement:

• Tagging at birth or shortly after. The only sure way to properly identify individual animals and provide a dependable trail wherever they move through their lifetimes. Tagging calves at or shortly after birth is part of the milk quality regulations for dairy premises. Starting in January 2005, all dairy calves will be tagged with an approved radio frequency identification (RFID) tag shortly after birth.
  
• Readability. The plastic panel ear tags with bar coding provided the cheapest most effective means of widespread identification across the cattle industry. Unfortunately, they haven't been well accepted at critical points such as handling facilities, sales yards and slaughterhouses. Cattle are handled quickly in groups, and under poor lighting conditions.
  As well, tags become damaged and dirty over time. These conditions make accurate reading of bar codes difficult. It's hoped this issue can be resolved with the RFID tags.
  
• Trucking. A manifest system may be necessary to trace animal movement and preserve the identity of cattle that may lose tags in transit. Many truckers already use a manifest system for their loads. It protects them and their customers. Until all animals are identified on farm with radio frequency tags and can be electronically identified at loading, some form of paper manifest system may be necessary.
  
• Unknown or unidentified premises. Herd owners who don't participate in DHI or a breed registry, or keep up individual animal records. Currently, we have no continuity or tracking of cattle that move to or from these herds. We need to have that connection made with existing databases.
  
• Premises identification and GPS (global positioning system) locations. Where cattle are housed, including secondary sites such as heifer barns, dry cow facilities and so forth. This would prove particularly useful in dealing with any sort of foreign animal disease outbreak when locating cows and herds would have the utmost importance. Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) is now redefining GPS coordinates for all dairy premises. The locations then can be cross-referenced with all the herd identifications so that cows can be located when necessary.
  
• Interactive and current database. The ability to track cows through the Canadian DHI database during the Washington state BSE incident proved very valuable. The national database, with about 750,000 active cow files, links animals to farms and transfers cows from farm to farm so long as they stay in the DHI system. Further, a large number of cow files are cross-referenced electronically with Holstein and other dairy breeds, and with the genetic evaluation system at Canadian Dairy Network. DHI staff could provide a cost-effective means of periodically entering and updating herd inventories from non-participant herds solely for the purpose of the tracking or traceability program. The audit process in Ontario could be part of the DFO milk quality program. As the Canadian Livestock Identification Agency evolves from a registry organization to one of tracking livestock, the existing support structure in dairy genetic improvement could help set up a universal system.

The arguments of a few years ago that Canada needed an identification system to respond to possible outbreaks of foreign animal disease and to reassure public confidence of food quality made sense, but weren't compelling for some producers. Massive outbreaks of reportable diseases in other countries have happened since then. One reported case of BSE in Canada has changed our beef and dairy industries dramatically.

Identification, tracking and traceability have taken on urgency. They aren't just good ideas that might be useful. The need is immediate. The present system, really in its infancy, has already shown great value in helping to open borders and reassure consumers.

The dairy industry is close to having a universal traceability system from farm to processor—the most advanced of the livestock groups. It's in the interests of the majority of producers, who've already invested in this program, to see it applied across the dairy industry so they can reap the benefits. The industry needs to take the remaining steps to provide a truly traceable system to meet the present day demands of the market place, and protect the interests of producers in the future.

Blair Murray is OMAF's dairy genetic improvement specialist, based in Kemptville, Ont. This article was prepared in consultation with Paul Laronde, OMAF's traceability coordinaton and Dr Dave Kelton, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph.

(reprinted from The Milk Producer, February 2004)