The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved a passive ultrahigh-frequency RFID tag for cattle tracking that will be used in conjunction with the agency's Animal Identification Number (AIN) system. The EPC Gen 2 tag can now be sold in the United States to members of the cattle industry as part of the AIN system, and will compete with existing low-frequency button tags employed by ranchers and cattle auction companies to help track the movements and health of cattle.
The USDA's National Animal Identification System is a voluntary program intended to allow the tracking of specific animals by assigning each animal a unique AIN. The goal of NAIS is to be able to quickly access a record of every location where a particular animal has lived, in the event that contaminated meat or a sick animal is detected.
