Comparison of beef traceability in serial and parallel fabrication systems using RFID and two-dimensional barcodes

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Agricultural Engineering
• Supply Chain Management

Background:

• Traceability of beef from small- and mid-sized farms presents a market challenge.
• Maintaining individual animal identity through the supply chain is crucial for market access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of different fabrication methods on the requirements for beef traceability systems.
• To compare the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of serial fabrication method (SFM) versus parallel fabrication method (PFM) for beef traceability.

Main Methods:

• Individual animal identities were tracked using radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tags and 2D barcodes.
• Two fabrication methods were compared: serial fabrication (SFM) and parallel fabrication (PFM).
• Data on label generation, time, and cost were collected and analyzed, with DNA marker genotyping used for fidelity verification.

Main Results:

• SFM generated significantly fewer labels per carcass (3.7 vs. 30.9) and required less time for labeling (18s vs. 3min 10s) compared to PFM.
• The total cost of traceability was substantially lower for SFM ($9.02/carcass) than for PFM ($17.98/carcass).
• Both SFM and PFM achieved 100% traceability fidelity, confirming the accuracy of the tracking systems.

Conclusions:

• SFM offers a more efficient and economical approach to beef traceability compared to PFM.
• The use of RFID and 2D barcodes is a feasible method for tracking beef from individual animals through processing.
• Optimizing fabrication methods can significantly reduce the barriers to beef traceability for smaller farms.