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IBM Tracks Pork Chops From Pig To Plate

Posted by samzenpus on from the name-your-food dept.

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."

8 of 216 comments (clear)

  1. The real goal by Intron · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.
    1. Re:The real goal by bhcompy · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's why you should eat racehorses. Parentage on racehorses is highly documented.

  2. More people turning vegetarian? by kheldan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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!
  3. His name was Wilbur by dethndrek · · Score: 5, Funny

    "He liked spiders, and was a pretty stupendous pig."

    --
    -JWR
  4. This is going to get complex(and long)... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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...

    1. Re:This is going to get complex(and long)... by Joehonkie · · Score: 5, Funny

      Your hot dog was composed of the pigs, earthworms, and insects pictured below:

  5. Re:First Yea!!! by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

  6. Re:IBM already did this by Johann+Lau · · Score: 5, Informative

    I would like a more stylish ear tag when you start doing this on humans, please.

    oh, not to worry! your concerns have long since been recognized.

    United States Patent 5,878,155

    There have been other methods to permanently identify humans. During the holocaust, the Nazis tattooed the arms of Jews with a unique identifying number. On an episode of the "X-FILES," a fictional television program on the FOX television network, a human was abducted by aliens who conducted experiments on the abductee. In order to permanently tag the abductee, the aliens etched a unique bar code onto one of the abductee's teeth. Neither of these methods is practical for marking humans for electronic sale transaction purposes. First, social conscience dictates that any permanent marking of humans not be conspicuous, such as a visible numbering on an arm like the holocaust victims. Second, the bar code must be long enough, large enough, and accessible enough to make the transaction efficient. Thus bar codes on teeth would not be practical because of the limited size of the teeth and the embarrassment caused by sales personnel placing scanning equipment in a customer's mouth.

    There is, therefore, a need in the art for verifying the identity of humans by electronic means that facilitates the transaction of sales, particularly e-money, through computer networks. It is an object of the present invention to overcome problems in the prior art.

    the problem of the prior art being those permanent markings being conspicuous, and that's it. meditate on that for a second.. and then check out the patent no. 4,597,495 which this one cites as reference. merry christmas!