Skip to main content
Livestock traceability is the ability to follow an animal or group of animals during all stages of its life. The objective of the livestock traceability system is to provide timely, accurate, and relevant information to reduce the impacts of a disease outbreak, food safety issue or natural disasters originating from and/or affecting livestock.
There are three main pillars to livestock traceability systems:
- Identification of livestock with an approved indicator;
- Identification of premises where livestock are kept, assembled or disposed of; and
- Reporting events related to livestock such as movement of animals from one premises to another.
The Livestock Identification and Traceability program (TRACE) is administered by both the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and industry. Click here to learn more about the program.
The CFIA is proposing amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations Part XV (animal identification) to help strengthen Canada's livestock traceability system.
Summary of proposed federal livestock identification and traceablity regulations - May 2018
FAQ'S - National Identification and Traceability
OSF has put together a frequently asked questions document about national identification and traceability.
Canadian Sheep Identification Program
A component of traceability is livestock identification. Click here to learn more about the Canadian Sheep Identification Program (CSIP) and its requirements.
Premises Identification
Premises identification (PID) is a key component of effective livestock traceability systems. To learn more about Premises identification in Ontario, including how to register your premises for free, click here.