Livestock traceability

Animal traceability is the ability to follow an animal or group of animals from one point in the supply chain to another. Traceability systems are an important tool for protecting animal and public health.

The goal of Canada’s livestock animal traceability system is to provide timely, accurate and relevant information to reduce the impacts of a disease outbreak, food safety issue or natural disaster originating from and/or affecting livestock.

A robust animal traceability system involves the collection and management of traceability information by provincial, territorial and federal jurisdictions related to the three pillars of traceability:

1. Animal identification (Canada)
2. Premises identification (B.C.)
3. Animal movement (Canada)

Canada’s Livestock Identification and Traceability Program (TRACE) has been jointly administered by CFIA and industry since 2001. The program is regulated under Part XV of Canada’s Health of Animals Regulations and administered by several responsible administrators.

Current federal requirements include mandatory identification of cattle, bison, sheep and pigs and movement reporting requirements for pigs. Other sectors such as poultry, have independently developed systems for collecting traceability information (see sidebar).  

Premises identification

Premises identification (ID) is regulated and managed by provincial jurisdictions across Canada.

In B.C., the Premises ID Program is managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

Premises ID registration became mandatory in 2022 for owners and operators of premises where one or more livestock animals are kept.  

Proposed amendments to federal traceability regulations

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has proposed to amend Part XV of the Health of Animals Regulations to strengthen Canada’s TRACE program and ensure that more complete and accurate traceability information is available in an emergency.

Improved traceability information would enable more timely and effective emergency response and improve support for animal disease surveillance activities.

The proposed amendments include:

• New requirements to identify goats and cervids (for example, farmed deer)
• New requirements to report the domestic movement of cattle, bison, sheep, goats, and cervids including the identification of originating and destination premises 
• Reduced time-period for reporting the movement, slaughter, and disposal of livestock

See the CFIA’s TRACE newsletters for more information.

Watch the videos below, produced by TRACE Canada for an introduction to the importance of livestock traceability: