What is Traceability?

Alberta’s traceability program is a system of tracking livestock animals and their movement to allow for a swift and accurate response to animal health, public health and food safety threats  that may arise from emergencies such as fires, floods or the threat of diseased livestock.  Traceability in Alberta relies on three pillars, premises identification, animal identification and animal movement.

Premises Identification

A premises is a land location where animals are bred, kept, raised, displayed, assembled, or disposed of. A PID (Premises Identification) Account is a summary of the information related to an animal owner or commingling site operator, including contact information, maximum number and types of animals and the location of the animals.  Premises Identification (PID) links livestock and poultry to land locations or premises. Alberta’s PID Program was established to plan for, control and prevent the spread of agricultural diseases. It is also used as an early warning system to notify animal owners of a natural disaster such as a flood or fire that could affect their animals or operations.

Animal Identification

Animal identification is the ability to identify individual animals or groups of animals, depending on the species.   Animal identification works with the other two traceability pillars, premises identification and animal movement, to track where animals have been located and transported and when. Animal identification helps industry and government to locate animals to confine a disease outbreak more quickly and accurately.

Animal Movement

Animal Movement is the act of tracing livestock and poultry backwards or forwards through the production supply chain based on animal movement records such as permits and manifests. Movement records are vital because the faster we can locate where livestock has been located and transported to and from, the more effectively we can protect animal and human health. Regulations regarding animal movement varies between species of livestock.