Carcase tags: from farm to table

Carcase tags: from farm to table Provenance, traceability and authenticity are hugely important to consumers when it comes to the food they choose to eat. In the light of various raw meat scandals over the last decade or so, consumers – be they resellers, restaurateurs or end of the line eaters – have become more conscious about where their meat is sourced from and how it has been raised. At Dura-ID, we supply various businesses at different stages of the food industry with carcase tags that comply with the stipulations of the Foodstuffs and Consumer Act 1997, instilling confidence in the minds of their customers. The tags that we manufacture ensure each carcase originates from a trustworthy source, as well as being slaughtered and transported ethically. What role do carcase tags play in getting food onto your table? Carcase tags are used in abattoirs to help keep track of individual animals so they can be identified and traced throughout the entire food chain operation. In order to mitigate various risks associated with transporting raw meat and help achieve the desired levels of quality assurance, traceability is a critical component to this procedure. But the importance of carcase tags goes far beyond traceability and the recording of livestock, it’s a legal requirement for abattoirs and slaughterhouses. If these tags are not secured onto an animal properly or are missing altogether, business owners risk being fined and there is a serious health risk to the general public. Here is some of the information that our carcase tags will typically display: Where the animal came from The date an animal was killed Weight of animal Species of animal Any further additional information that may affect its sale e.g. damage Tracking assets efficiently throughout the food chain Because the process of getting an animal from farm to table involves so many different parties, it’s vital that each party has a common reference point to ensure food standards are upheld. The tags we supply to our clients each feature a barcode, which when scanned, reveals information about each animal, such as when it arrived and when processing began. Carcase tags ensure that every part of the supply chain – from farmers to process plant workers right down to end consumers – have access to the same records. This not only guarantees full traceability of each piece of meat, but it also helps establish greater transparency which feeds into greater trust among consumers and resellers. However, this process doesn’t only apply to whole carcasses. As is common practice in the meat industry, the carcass is split into smaller pieces, with some cuts demanding a higher price as they’re deemed more desirable. All of this information can be relayed back to the farmers who produce the meat using our tags, which means they can accurately predict demand and adjust livestock management to accommodate for this. Dura-ID’s industry expertise: food for thought When it comes to upholding the tight regulations and standards around food, you can’t afford to cut any corners. Here at Dura-ID, we have a wealth of experience in providing an end-to-end solution for a range of businesses throughout the supply chain to comply with these strict standards. This means we have the experience and knowledge to help your business overcome operational difficulties that you may run into, and we’re proactive in solving any potential issues that may affect you and your business. We recognise that transporting food can be a messy business; water, fat, blood, and other organic materials can spill onto tags, so that’s why ours are made using resistant recyclable synthetic material, so data readability and product traceability isn’t compromised. All of our tags can be customised to meet a range of different sized animal carcasses and they can be supplied plain or a colour of your choice to support your own colour-coding system. Our tags can also be part-printed with your branding and specific data such as kill date, source, animal type or weight, in either a handwritten style or overprinted using a thermal transfer printer. And remember, the carcase tags that we supply aren’t limited to larger animals or cuts of meat; they can just as easily be made to track fish, smaller cuts and even offal

For more information on Carcase tags: from farm to table talk to Dura-ID Solutions Limited