Traceability in the meat industry – the farm to plate continuum

Traceability of meat and meat products is a major issue in the meat industry with the two main drivers being food safety/risk management and authentication. Increasingly, the world marketplace is indicating that traceability systems for food products derived from individual animals (e.g. steak, chops etc.) is required now or will be required in the near future. Traceability requirements for compound products, such as ground beef, are usually less strict and are frequently limited to date and place of manufacture. As global competition increases it is imperative that technologies are available that protect against, and deter, fraudulent labelling of inferior product. Traceability offers more than marketing advantages. It can be applied at every stage of the meat production continuum and can be just as valuable to farmers and processors as it is to marketers and consumers.