Using RFID To Prevent Mad Cow Disease

prostoalex writes "Associated Press suggests that the United States might be on the move to create a centralized animal database that would track all sorts of information about the farm animals, including their origins. RFID technology comes into play, apparently, with cheap tags that could be assigned to animals right after birth and special scanners capable of retrieving the RFID and fetching the data from the centralized database."

Comments

Not Might Be...

[pr0c]

They are working on a national ID program as seen here http://www.usaip.info/ it is nothing new. Its been in the works for years and we've been using a similar system (of which the national system will basted from) in North East Michigan to control and eradicate bovine tuberculosis. The USDA gave a 1.3 million dollar grant to start the program in N.E. Michigan in 2001 and we've been in full force since 2002. You think slashdotters are paranoid about RFID? Try RFIDing cattle..

What if you eat the RFID?

[Anonymous Coward]

special scanners capable of retrieving the RFID

Would they track it thorough your intestines?

"Pardon me sir, but you are currently digesting Mad Cow meat. Please stop!"

Re:What if you eat the RFID?

[dchamp]

I was just wondering if RFID tags were robust enough to survive the meat grinder. :/

Re:Finally...

[jag164]

Oh really? Well I'm a life member of PETA and this a disturbing invasion of a bovine's privacy. I'd further like to *BANG*...

Another spike into the family farm's heart

[ic0wb0y]

Let's get the basic facts out in the open. MCD is caused by feeding cows dead cows. The only cows that get fed this way are chicken coop cows in billion dollar agri corp controlled farms and ranches, who are doing everything they can to control all land and farms-and water. The open range cattle do not get MCD-ever. It's why UK got it so bad, no open range farming any more.

Who takes the brunt of every bad event in farming? The family man.

Agri business is a giant monopoly who has fought for many years trying to keep feeding dead cows to save a few pennies a pound-now they are saying that "oh, $25 a cow for RIFD will save the world from (the disease they caused) these rogue ranchers." the lobbiests cry. It's all PC these days.

I was in Ft. Collins one time. I was picking up a load of cattle. The cows were so gigantic I thought I'd woken up in a dream. A regular steer was so massive the poor thing couldn't even walk with out struggling. At least 500 lbs larger than normal. It was of course not a good family ranch, it was in a giant corporation feedlot. These criminals should be put to jail-and one day they will be.

It can lay dormant for up to 30 years before MCD affects a human. If you ate at McDonalds yesterday, their is a chance within 30 years you'll be acting like, yes-a mad cow. I've seen videos of victims. Sad indeed. 95% of all beef exports have been halted. Beef prices will plummet to 50 cents a lb. MMm. We'll be consuming beef like mad men.

Re:Another spike into the family farm's heart

[Quikah]

Feeding cows dead cows was banned in 1997.

Re:Another spike into the family farm's heart

[ic0wb0y]

It was banned everywhere but the US. Just today (12/30 MSN.COM) the USDA had to publicly step up and announce a (minimal) ban on certain types of feed made from dead cows, called downers.

The US (ag corporations only) have so much money into this process that they kept the procedure from becoming banned all this time fully knowing that this very type of situation destroyed the independent cattleman as they were known in all other countries for years.

But, this was a perfectly timed event. A move is being made on American ranchers this very moment in history and their plight will be the same as the UK's private property rights. This is not new news, there have been Mad Cow discoveries as far back as 8 years in the US. many, and I do mean many, of the BUsh administration's cabinet are ex Monsanto executives. What it is now is a strategic land and power grab-much akin to what the "well meaning" Dawes Act of 1887 which was imposed and in 10 years that "built in system" in it's design finished off the Indians for good.

Look, if I am a "terrorist" for carrying around a Farmers Almanac, then what should the crime be for causing billions of dollars in losses to cattleman because my corporation poisoned them with bad downer cattle, and killed a few people while I was at it? I guess he has the biggest check wins.

Why bother?

[psyconaut]

When you can just conveniently blame Canada?

-psy

Re:Why bother?

[JonMartin]

When you can just conveniently blame Canada?

Because we are getting a little tired of it.
Brief summary of what we have been wrongly blamed for lately.
Missed opportunity to help both our industries.

A red herring. We need enforcement, not RFID tags.

[dpbsmith]

1) It's already against the rules for beef products to contain nervous system tissue.

2) 2002 Agriculture Department survey found central nervous system tissue in beef products at 74 percent of the plants tested. Source:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/15401 7_beefsaf ety25.html

There you have it. We already have regulations in place that would be perfectly adequate prevent the transmission of mad cow to disease to humans--and the regulations are not being followed.

What earthly good will it do to accumulate yet more tracking records and database entries? What's needed is a willingness to put public safety above the profits of private interests. If that's absent, all the RFID tags in the world aren't going to help.