Proposed Animal I.D. Traceback System Under Review

A proposed new U.S. Department of Agriculture Livestock I.D. and Trace-back System was made ready for review the same day word started to spread about a recent case of BSE, or mad cow disease, in California. The new animal tracing system will be used to track and prevent disease outbreak.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, says the new system is better and will be easier to participate in and hopefully will lead to a greater percentage of producers taking part.

"It's flexible. It allows us to do our jobs of trace back and it makes sure that producers are not over burdened with regulation or the cost associated with it."

Agriculture experts say cost was something that kept producers from participating in the previous proposed system.

Vilsack says once the review of the plan is complete he hopes they'll be publishing the results soon after.