Bovitrak Builds Confidence

You need fast, secure access to food tracking and traceability data. Bovitrak delivers.

Since 1996, evidence has pointed to a cattle disease called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or "mad cow disease") as the source of a human brain disease called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). Both disorders are invariably fatal. Both usually take years to show symptoms.

In December 2003, the unthinkable happened. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that BSE had been discovered in an adult Holstein cow from Washington State. The US now joins countries such as Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom that are struggling to prove that their beef is safe. Beef Concepts is supporting that effort.

When a BSE-positive animal is discovered, instant access to information is vital. Beef Concepts' Bovitrak system allows food inspection authorities to pinpoint origin in seconds, providing a complete record for the animal from calving onwards and eliminating costly guesswork.

Bovitrak is an Internet-administered database that tracks animals from the farm to the consumer. Data is available to the subscriber anytime, anywhere, via the Internet. The very reasonable cost of participating in the system is more than covered by added value all the way along the food supply chain.

The Bovitrak database includes details on management, genetics, vaccinations, treatments and all feeding. A current owner of the animal can view production information that has been recorded by other owners. The ultimate user of this knowledge base is the consumer, who can view the entire history of the food they are purchasing to ensure themselves that it is safe.

Beef Concepts gives clear advantages:

Beef producers and feedlots: Every animal enrolled in the Beef Concepts database ensures that you can provide complete tracking information forwards and backwards to buyers and government inspectors – a clear advantage for exporters and suppliers to branded beef programs.

Processors and retailers: Beef Concepts lets you back up your claims and protect your reputation with certainty.

Government health and food inspection authorities: Bovitrak compiles and maintains a complete animal history. Tagging systems give only a partial story. Without Bovitrak, any outbreak of animal disease can create immediate havoc in the food supply system. With Bovitrak, the index case and all associated animals can quickly be identified and isolated.

Bovitrak – get the full picture
Bovitrak is a fully integrated system for beef safety, tracking and trace-back. The Bovitrak database incorporates the same level of security used for Internet bank transactions. Bovitrak is already proving itself in the real world of the cattle industry. To find out more about how Beef Concepts and the Bovitrak system can increase confidence in our food supply, see the accompanying articles or contact us at info@beefconcepts.com.