Methods and Systems for Tracking and Managing Livestock Through the Production Process

• US 20070260347A1
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barclays Bank PLC (Barclays PLC)
• Original Assignee: Swift & Company (JBS USA Lux SA)
• Inventors: Mirtsching, Warren, Felix, John, Gustafson, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/115
• CPC Class Codes: A22B 5/007 Non-invasive scanning of carcasses, e.g. using image recognition, tomography, X-rays, ultrasound analysing meat, e.g. search for foreign embedded objects G01N33/12; image analysis G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/10 Marking meat or sausages marking animals A01K11/00; labelling B65C
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing

Abstract

Systems and methods are described that provide a relatively quick and easy way of tracing meat products to their origins. Specifically, methods of tracing a fully processed meat product back through the production process use windows of traceability to quickly identify which lots were being processed at a particular time. Identification and cross-referencing during the production process also allow for further tracking of the origin of meat products, ultimately up to their feedlot of origin.

Claims

1. A method of tracing the origins of a product, comprising:

receiving a request for the origin of the product, wherein the request comprises information about the product;

based on the information received about the product, determining a corresponding window of traceability for the product;

determining at least one carcass that was present at a production facility during the window of traceability; and

determining a lot associated with the at least one carcass.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a report containing information regarding the origins of the product.

3. A report generated by the method of claim 2.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the product is a meat product.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the product is an organ.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the organ is selected from the group consisting of brain, liver, tongue, pancreas gland, thymus gland, stomach, feet, kidney, lungs, heart, small intestine, testicles, placenta, crop and caul.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the production facility is a meat production facility.

8. A system for producing and tracking a meat product, comprising:

a meat production facility comprising a number of production areas;

means for capturing images of items that pass within an area of interest in at least one production area;

a database used to store information relating to the images and products that are produced within the meat production facility; and

a central processor that is operable to receive information relating to the images and products from at least one of the production areas and transfer the information to the database for storage, wherein the information at least comprises a window of traceability corresponding to at least one of the production areas.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for capturing images is a camera.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the camera is a digital camera.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for generating a report containing information regarding the origins of the meat product.

12. A report generated by the system of claim 11.

13. A method for auditing a meat production process, comprising:

separating at least one organ of interest from other organs;

grading the at least one organ of interest;

capturing an image of the at least one organ of interest;

associating the at least one organ of interest and the image with at least one of an animal and a lot of origin;

analyzing the image;

based on the analyzing, determining the grade of the at least one organ of interest; and

associating the determined grade of the at least one organ of interest with the at least one of an animal and lot of origin.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the organ is selected from the group consisting of brain, liver, tongue, pancreas gland, thymus gland, stomach, feet, kidney, lungs, heart, small intestine, testicles, placenta, crop and caul.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating a report containing information regarding the organ'"'"'s animal of origin.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating a report containing information regarding the organ'"'"'s lot of origin.