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IBM Tracks Pork Chops From Pig To Plate
dcblogs writes "IBM is deploying technology in China that allows meat suppliers to track a single pig all the way from farm animal to pork chop. Pigs are initially identified with a barcoded ear tag. This identification is then put on bins used to track the various pig parts as they pass through the slaughterhouse, processing plant, distribution center and finally to the clear plastic-wrapped package in a grocer's case. If a consumer buys three pork chops in a package, 'you know that these three pieces of pork chop came from pig number 123,' said Paul Chang, who leads global strategy for emerging technologies at IBM. The goal is to control disease outbreaks, but theoretically this technology could allow a grocer to put a picture on the store package of the pig you are eating."
I would like a more stylish ear tag when you start doing this on humans, please.
Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
"...theoretically this technology could allow a grocer to put a picture on the store package of the pig you are eating."
No thanks. I like to feel a personal disconnection with the animal I'm about to eat. Lobsters aren't so bad because they're like bugs, but many people keep furry animals like pigs as pets. The idea's like a local radio commercial that advertises lambskin boots and then plays a cute "Baaaaa" noise, which is quizzical and bizzarre.
Everytime that commercial comes on at work I say, "That is the sound of the lamb being slaughtered to make those boots."
Does Douglas Adam's estate get to sue if we get an introduction of our pork by our pork?
theoretically this technology could allow a grocer to put a picture on the store package of the pig you are eating
Considering how disconnected the average person is from where their food comes from, I think putting a face on the meat you're buying would turn many people's stomachs -- and maybe turn them off eating meat. Oh well, more bacon for the rest of us!
Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
"He liked spiders, and was a pretty stupendous pig."
-JWR
then no way in hell they'd implement a picture.
You can bet PETA will lobby for legislation mandating it, though. Not that I think they'll succeed, but they'll certainly try.
For discrete cuts of meat, the labeling should be simple enough; but some of the more, er, 'waste minimizing' meat products are going to get seriously complex.
The composition of a given hamburger would probably have to be given as a joint probability density function across a set of hundreds or thousands of animals or something similarly messy. That would give label-readers something to ponder...
First thing I'd do...I'd avoid ALL food coming from China...and just buy US foods, preferably as locally raised as possible.
I do appreciate that the labeling on fish now allows me to do this, I'd be happy if I could do this with most all foods I buy in the store, that I don't now know its source of origin.
I'm trying to learn (again) what seasons things naturally grow...that should help somewhat trying to keep food purchases local.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
It would be a waste of technology if it didn't make bacon taste even better.
They did the same thing in 1930's/40's Germany. I guess the more that things change, the more that they stay the same.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
But IBM's tech worked with numbers burned on forearms.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
Americans don't want to see the face of the pig they are eating, In fact most don't want to hear how you kill and process and animal. Putting a photo of the pig on the package will guarantee a drop in sales.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Track it back to its facebook page and post a message - "You were delicious"
We've been doing this in Europe for quite a few years now...
Dear Cayenne8,
We in the agriculture and food processing industry take customer satisfaction extremely seriously. For a small additional packaging fee, we would be delighted to ensure that your food has been locally produced in the location of your choice and certified to whatever standard you desire by whatever certification bodies you trust most. Our graphics department may require 8-10 additional business days for certification logos not already in our library, and 4-colour printing is extra.
To suit the requirements of today's environmentally sensitive customer, we are proud to label all our products as being sustainably derived from non-endangered species, or endangered species whose tissues are indistinguishable by any test likely to be employed by the customs agents of your jurisdiction.
Sincerely Yours,
The Supply Chain.
collaboration.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !
Yours In Osh,
K. Trou t
I can tell you how to do this right now.
Go find a farm and buy from them. you can even pick out the chicken that is running around for them to kill for you.
Honestly, it has been easy to buy local for centuries, most people dont want to bother because it also involves experiencing the process. several times a year I buy a cow with 3 other families. we end up with 1/4 of it in processed meat that tastes better than anything from a supermarket.
It's more expensive, but it can easily be done.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Many years ago there was a similar article about Ben & Jerry's ice cream doing the same kind of ingredient-to-finished-product tracking. It described how say, complaints in Cherry Garcia ice cream can be traced by batch # to the source of the cherries, cream, etc to help pinpoint the problem in quality. For a long time people had been wanting things like this for food safety. Past steps to get the ball rolling in the livestock industry are stalled on practical matters such as tagging things like yes.. Individual chickens. The obvious complaint is that it costs too much money for farmers/ranchers to tag all of these animals. Humorously the farmers joke that the politicians want them to tag the chickens in their ears... which chickens do not have.
Everyone know that the part of IBM operating in Germany worked with the government of the time helping with some of the most heinous institutionalized in human history. However, there is a good chance you can't find a single person currently in IBM's employ who was even *born* when that was happening. Implying that IBM continues to be a company worthy of scorn even now due to this is not that far off from calling Germany a despicable country. We must never forget and specific examples of how organizations were complicit in the whole thing helps to keep perspective, but in any way implying the IBM of *today* has any blame for what was done by people who have no invlovlement in IBM at all anymore is not productive.
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
We are a small family farm - we raise our pigs outdoors without locking them up. We feed them grain, but also hay, whey from a nearby dairy, and windfall apples from a local orchard. My customers know exactly where their meat comes from, I get more for my product than most farmers do, and they get a savings by buying a far superior product directly from me without having to pay for all the transportation and advertising costs in the supermarket. It's awesome. Seriously - go find a farmer who will let you meet the meat and only by from them forever. You won't regret it.
As someone who grew up in the farm... I don't have issues with that. We have gotten so squeamish about food, we should know where you food comes from. Edible Mushrooms you get at the store are grown in manure. Our Tomato Sauce from a jar or a can come from storage containers that have stored the tomatoes for up to 3 years. The FDA allows a particular percentage that is greater then 0% of bugs dead bugs to be found and processed in food...
If you get grossed out because of your food, then most likely you don't know much about it. If you grow up on a farm and see how your food is produces and made from what and how... You have respect for it, you know to clean it before hand, and how to properly prepare it.
I eat meat, I know it comes from animals, and most of these animals have a distinct personality and if they weren't going to be food I could be friends with it, and have it as a loving pet. When I eat meat I don't joy over the fact that I am eating a dead animal, I take into consideration that this animal has died for my sustenance (and hence why I don't often wast meet).
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
You may be interested in CSA programs. Here's a good place to start: http://www.localharvest.org/
Uh, "if it looks roughly mouse-shaped according to my infra-red sensitive pit, eat it"? --Chris Burke 09-08-10
Both, I'd guess. The claimed reasoning will be to force people to make the connection between the living animal and the meat being eaten.
I would have to start mailing PETA pictures of my lovely steaks.
Let me know when they start tracking the pork chop from plate to the city sewage treatment plant.
Unaccountable leaders are masters, and unrepresented people are slaves. How do US and EU fare?