TRANSPONDERS - THEIR USE AS IDENTIFICATION IN THE SLAUGHTERING CHAIN

end of a long production process. Information gathered up to this point on the individual animal one group of fatteners is not generally of use to the slaughtering firm although it might be necessary for quality documentation. On the other hand the slaughterhouse itself ascertains parameters on slaughter yield, quality and health status which could be relayed to earlier sectors. It would be a good idea to have a joint ,,data pool'' covering all processes so that all those involved could use it. The necessary collection of data should, however, be done as independently of personnel as possible and with a great degree of care. The electronically readable marks that are described are of central importance here. They make possible automatic identification and the linkage of data on individual animals from the production and fattening stages with data from slaughtering and meat cutting, thus creating a meeting point between areas of the records that have hitherto been separate.