Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 1/16/15

While the U.S. meat industry dithers over the issue of traceability of animals and the subsequent meat products from the barn to the store or restaurants, it is increasingly in danger of losing major market share in key export countries, particularly in Asia, said presenters at the International Livestock Forum, held here on the campus of Colorado State University.

“China has huge potential but [companies that hope to export meat there] need traceability and labeling,” said Mark Gustafson, director of the International Beef Sales Division for JBS in Greeley, Colo. “There’s a list of criteria” determining access to the Chinese market, for example, “and traceability is one of them. Australia has claimed they can meet the criteria, and there are several other countries. But [the U.S.] hasn’t come to an agreement (internally) on [traceability] yet.”

“It’s high on the radar. I know that this is probably the No. 1 access issue on beef and [industry leadership] is trying to expedite it,” he said.

The lack of a traceability system in the meat supply chain threatens to stymie what is otherwise a promising avenue for profits. “USDA inspection is a marketing tool” in foreign markets, noted Dan Halstrom, the senior vice president of marketing and communications for the U.S. Meat Export Federation in Denver. “They know that the U.S. food safety system is No. 1 in the world.”

Noted Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, 20 percent to 25 percent of U.S. pork and poultry is destined for foreign markets.
"We have production systems in place, the safety and quality systems in place, and the quality differentiation. We do not have age and source verification — we do in some markets but not across the industry,” Blach said. "And maybe that’s good, because now [the push for traceability] is market-driven. It was never going to work with the government was mandating it” through the National Animal Identification System.

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