November 29, 2007

RFID revolutionizes tracking of livestock health and origin

RFID has aided the prevention and containment of outbreaks such as mad cow disease through its source and age-verified tracking systems.

Japan and UK developed the technology to contain damage by mad cow and bird flu outbreaks. The US Department of Agriculture also tested RFID chips as part of a National Animal Identification System.

Sue Brown, a product manager with Destron Fearing, maker of RFID tracking chips, said the technology has altered the way consumers buy their meat.

In Japan, consumers can scan a package of beef and see a photo of the people who raised the cow, along with details on how it entered the country, sent to their mobile phones easily.

However, not everyone sees the technology as foolproof. Some observers said that the RFID tags communicate without encryption so some of them can be cloned or even reprogrammed.

A farmer might want to swap out the identity of a sick animal in his stock to save an entire herd from being destroyed.

According to Brown, Destron Fearing has taken steps to prevent its tags from being cloned, including placing the chip in a tamperproof polyurethane casing.

Given the possible loopholes of the technology, some companies are also starting to match DNA samples with existing ID systems to ensure greater level of safety.