RFID to Fight Mad Cow Disease

Filed in archive Supply Chain on June 17, 2005

Those of us here in the United States have heard some disturbing news about the threat of mad cow disease recently.

Bloomberg has a good recap of the most recent concerns and the impact on markets and stocks.

The Washington Post suggests the USDA is being vague in its reasons for re-testing for mad cow disease in brain tissue from a cow declared disease-free seven months ago.

The foreign (non-American) press is having a field day, especially in countries that look to pick up the slack if American beef is banned: Canada, Australia and New Zealand, to name a few. Meanwhile, the news from the U.S. is rather quiet -- comparatively few news reports and what little there are, seem to be very short.

So what does this all have to do with RFID?

A lot.

RFID has been discussed as having the potential to help secure a safe food supply. Read this earlier post on the subject of RFID to fight mad cow disease that I wrote last year.