McCollum Introduces Legislation Establishing Livestock Tracking Technology To Ensure Food Safety
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2004 11:52 AM
- PR Newswire
WASHINGTON, Feb 26, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) this week introduced legislation to enable the U.S. Department of Agriculture to trace livestock from birth to slaughter. McCollum's National Livestock Identification Act (H.R. 3822) calls for the Secretary of Agriculture to immediately establish an electronic nationwide livestock identification system.
"The safety of our food supply is critical to our families," said McCollum. "This technology will allow the Department of Agriculture to track an incidence of 'mad cow' or other diseases in livestock like chronic wasting disease discovered in the United States within 48 hours. We are fortunate to have a pioneer in this important technology right in my home town of South Saint Paul, Minnesota."
McCollum's legislation allows the Secretary of Agriculture to consider existing technologies. The measure also provides assistance to farmers and producers in their efforts to comply with such a tracking system.
Kevin McGrath, President and CEO of St. Paul-based Digital Angel Corporation (DOC) , the pioneer and world leader in implantable Radio Frequency Identification, praised Rep. Betty McCollum for her leadership on this issue.
"We thank Congresswoman McCollum for being a leader on this issue," said McGrath. "She has consistently been at the forefront looking for ways to use existing technology to prevent future crises involving Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and other diseases which threaten U.S. livestock."
About Digital Angel Corporation
Digital Angel Corporation develops and deploys sensor and communications technologies that enable rapid and accurate identification, location tracking, and condition monitoring of high-value, mobile assets. Applications for the Company's products include identification and monitoring of pets, fish and livestock through its patented implantable microchips; location tracking and message monitoring of vehicles and aircraft in remote locations through systems that integrate GPS and geosynchronous satellite communications; and monitoring of asset conditions such as temperature and movement, through advanced miniature sensors.
Digital Angel Corporation is majority-owned by Applied Digital Solutions, Inc. (ADSX) . For more information about Digital Angel, please visit www.DigitalAngelCorp.com or contact Jay McKeage of Allen & Caron at (212) 691-8087 or jay@allencaron.com.
For further information, please contact Joshua Straka, +1-651-224-9191, or cell, +1-651-307-0533, for Congresswoman Betty McCollum.
SOURCE Digital Angel Corporation
Jay McKeage of Allen & Caron, +1-212-691-8087, or
jay@allencaron.com, for Digital Angel Corporation; or Joshua Straka,
+1-651-224-9191, or cell, +1-651-307-0533, for Congresswoman Betty McCollum
digitalangelcorp.com
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