The government of Canada has launched a new traceability system for the meat industry--the Canadian Integrated Traceability Program (CITP). The cost of the program is estimated at CN$1.7 million.

The CITP will accelerate the development, implementation, and integration of traceability systems across the Canadian meat and livestock industry.

“Canada is a world leader in developing and implementing traceability systems that monitor animals, premises and animal movements,” said Chuck Strahl, Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “Sophisticated tracking tools will help our industries expand to new markets while better safeguarding people's health.”

The CITP provides funding to support pilot projects in the livestock and meat-processing sector which demonstrate integrated approaches to traceability implementation across the value chain. This program is a sub-element of the Repositioning the Canadian Livestock Industry Strategy--one of several measures and programs introduced to assist the industry in responding to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy issue.

The traceability program will play a key role in moving forward on a national traceability agenda as directed by the federal-provincial-territorial ministers of agriculture in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, in June.