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About CCIA
Description and Purpose
The Canadian Cattle identification Program is an industry
initiated and established trace back system designed for the
containment and eradication of animal disease.
The agency is led by a Board of Directors made up of
representatives from all sectors of the cattle industry- The
Canadian Cattlemen's Association, Livestock Marketing
Association of Canada, Canadian Meat Council, Canadian
Veterinary Medical Association, Dairy Industry, The Canadian
Bison Association, Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Cattle
feeders Association, Livestock Order Buyers of Canada,
Manitoba Cattle Producers Association, Ontario Cattlemen's
Association and ATQ. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and
Agri-Food Canada are ex officio members.
How does it work?
- A CCIA Approved tag is applied to the ear prior to
leaving the farm of origin.
- All tags are visually and electronically imbedded
with a unique identification number that is allocated
from the national database and then distributed to
producers through authorized tag dealers.
- The national tag distribution network securely
reports all tag issuance records directly to the
national database.
- The unique number of each individual animal is
maintained to the point of export of carcass inspection
where the animal is either approved for consumption of
condemned.
When Did It Start?
The Program began January 1, 2001 in which all
cattle must be tagged with an approved CCIA ear tag
upon leaving their farm of origin. Full enforcement of
the program by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, with monetary penalties, began on July 1, 2002.
On July 1, 2001 all packing plants began reading all tags,
transferring the information to the carcass and maintaining
that identity to the point of carcass inspection. This
includes provincially inspected plants and non-inspected
plants.
Enforcement
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) enforces the
Canadian Cattle Identification Program with penalties for non-compliance beginning at
$500 and going as high as $4,000. Early payment can reduce
the fines by as much as 50%. The need for assessing
penalties will be minimal as all industry sectors will be
aware of the requirements and will be expecting compliance
from their suppliers.
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What are reportable diseases and conditions?
Reportable diseases are typically those which Canada and
some 150 other countries have agreed to control or eliminate
to safeguard human health and maintain access to the
international marketplace. Currently, the CFIA carries out
approximately 2,000 trace backs per year in its investigation
of reportable diseases and other conditions. The CCIA
identification system increases the efficiency of a
trace back by 90% and helps ensure the rapid containment
and elimination of potentially devastating reportable
diseases and major food safety defects, as well as any
unforeseen new problems that may arise.
Reportable Diseases
Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Vesicular Stomatitis
Rinderpest
Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia
Lumpy Skin Disease
Rift Valley Fever
Bluetongue
Anthrax
Pseudorabies
Rabies
Anaplasmosis
Bovine Brucellosis (Bangs Disease)
Bovine Tuberculosis
Cysticercosis
Mange
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
Residue monitoring of beef cattle turns up virtually no
infractions, but remains a vital tool for ensuring the
safety of the Canadian food supply. In most cases major
residue problems are resolved by tracing back from the
location where the problem is identified to the most recent
owner. The CCIA identification system also assista this
search.
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Getting Tags and Complying With The Program
Several manufacturers are approved suppliers of tags for the
Program. Their distributors are located across Canada and
are the same locations where producers currently purchase
farm supplies.
When purchasing tags, producers are required to provide their
name, telephone number, address and postal code. The
producer is assigned a Personal Identification Number
(PIN) which he or she will have the option of using to speed
up tag purchases. No other information is recorded.
CCIA controls access to the information stored in the
CCIA database. CCIA will provide information to CFIA at
CFIA’s request in the event of a health or safety concern.
Any other request for access, including government
departments other than CFIA, is made through a
legal process with the petitioner requiring to justify the
need for access.
Animals that lose tags in transit are to be re-tagged at the
next point of arrival. Beyond the farm of origin new owners
are expected to keep a record of the re-tagged animal’s tag
number and any information available about its origin in the
event of a later trace back.
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Imports and Exports
Updated Information as of July 18, 2005.
Liability and Responsibility
The CFIA traces from the first location of the animal (herd
of origin) and last location of the animal (usually the
packing plant) to find the true source of the problem. The CFIA will
rely on scientific information and tests to confirm
infection and toxin sources.
The system traces to the point of carcass inspection.
Most contamination food safety problems are discovered after
that point and are recognized to be beyond the control of
primary producers.
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Regulations
Regulations pertaining to the Canadian Cattle Identification
Program are contained within the Federal Health of Animals
Act and Regulations. Copies of the pertinent regulations are
available by clicking Here. |
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