VS 1-65 Manufacturer Application for Official Identification Dev

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this
information collection is 0579-0327. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 15
hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining
the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE
VETERINARY SERVICES

OMB Approved
0579-0327
EXP.: XX/XX/XXXX

MANUFACTURER APPLICATION FOR OFFICIAL
IDENTIFICATION DEVICES

Premises Identification Eartags for Slaughter Swine
Please ensure that you complete a current version of the application. Contact the individual listed on page 6 if you received this application
more than three months ago and have not yet completed or submitted the form.
See the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) Website at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/ for more information on ADT and official eartags at:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/downloads/ADT_eartags_criteria.pdf.

Date submitted by applicant:

I. Contact Information
Business Information
Company Name

Contact Person Name

Address

Contact Person Email

Primary Phone:
Secondary Phone:
City, State ZIP
Company Website (URL)

Fax (if applicable):
Nonproducer Participant Number (NPN):
(Issued through ADT program)

Manufacturing Plant Information (if different from above)
Company Name

Contact Person Name

Address

Contact Person Email

Phone:
City, State ZIP

Country (if other than US)

Information Technology (IT) Contact Information
(Designated person for the Traceability IT Team to contact regarding system issues)
IT Contact Person Name

Phone

Location (City, State)

IT Contact Person Email

II. Tag Description and Performance
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JUN 2018

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Manufacturing
What is the company’s role regarding the tag being applied for?

Manufacturing and imprinting

Do you plan to be an AIN tag manager?

Imprinting only

Yes

No

Manufacturer Product Name

Manufacturer Product Code Number

What is the bi-weekly production capacity for this tag?

What is the anticipated inventory for this tag?

Physical Description
`Tag Dimensions

Plastic (1-piece tag)
Width (cm):

Length (cm) after
applied:

Weight (grams):

Be sure to list the weight and size using the units
noted

Plastic (2-piece tag
Two-piece tags commonly have tags referred to as the male and female tag. For
describing the characteristics of the tag, Tag piece A, is attached to the inside of
the animal’s ear and tag piece B is on the outside of the animal’s ear.

Width (mm)

Tag Piece A
Shape

Strip
Panel (flap tag)
Round (button)
Oval

(
m
m

Square, rectangular, oval tags:
Length (mm):
Width (mm):
Round tags:
Diameter (mm):

Tag Piece B
Shape

Strip
Panel (flap tag)
Round (button)
Oval

Square, rectangular, oval tags:
Length (mm):
Width (mm):
Round tags:
Diameter (mm):

Stem

Length (cm)

Newton value at which the stem breaks

VS Form 1-65
JUN 2018

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L
e
n
g
t
h

Diameter
(mm)

III. Performance and Quality Controls
Performance of the Visual Tag
Clearly explain how the device being applied for meets or exceeds the following criteria. Either enter the
response in the text box below (the box will automatically expand) or submit on a separate attachment. When
appropriate, include other reference documentation (charts, summaries, etc.) with the application and note
such explanations.
•

Tamper evident: One Time Use – Tamper evident locking mechanism
Explain how the tag is constructed and designed for one-time use (tamper evident). Be sure to clearly
explain how the tag cannot be removed from one animal and reapplied to another animal without evidence
that this action has occurred.
Click here to enter explanation

•

Unalterable printing: The printing on the tag may not be readily altered.
Click here to enter explanation

•

Readability: The AIN must be easily and reliably readable with 20/20 vision. The printing and color contrast
of the official eartag shield, lettering, and numbers are to be easily and reliably readable at a distance of 30
inches (0.75 m). (No explanation necessary. Submit sample tags as explained below.)
Click here to enter explanation

•

Tag loss rates: On average, when applied in a manner approved by the manufacturer, not more than 5
percent of tags applied may be lost in the year following application or in any year thereafter under normal
field conditions over the expected life of the tag. When applied just prior to entering slaughter channels, not
more than 1 percent of the tags may be lost while swine are in slaughter channels.
Click here to enter explanation

•

Expected tag life: The minimum time that a tag shall be expected to remain on an animal in a functional
state (physically) is for the expected life of the animal.
Click here to enter explanation

•

Tag toxicity and animal injury: Tags may do no harm to an animal or affect its health or well-being. Tags
may not cause chemical contamination of meat or edible offal or damage the hide.
Click here to enter explanation

•

Tag deterioration: There may be no diffusion of colorant from tags. There may be no apparent physical
deterioration (other than color) due to detrimental effects by UV light, rain, heat (45C) and cold (-30C) or
other environmental influences such as chemicals, mud, urine, or manure for at least 5 years of wear.
Click here to enter explanation

•

Tag plasticity: Devices may not split or crack under normal use.

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JUN 2018

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Click here to enter explanation
•

Tag coupling/tensile strength: Tag coupling/tensile strength: Evaluation standards must conform to
ICAR testing standards and, at minimum, should comply with ISO standards 37 and 527.
Click here to enter explanation

•

Tag abrasion resistance: Tag abrasion resistance: Tags shall not exhibit damage or change due to wear,
may be subjected to ICAR testing standards and, at minimum, should comply with ISO standard 9352.
Click here to enter explanation

Quality Control
Explain your control measures and ability to produce the tag consistently according to the specifications.
Include procedures that will ensure the uniqueness of the AIN is maintained. If applicable, enclose your
company’s quality control plan.
Click here to enter explanation

V. Official Identification for Other Countries
Please list the National Identification Programs of other countries in which this tag is currently an approved tag.
Country

Date Approved

Country

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JUN 2018

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Date Approved

VI. Application Packet for Submission
 Application and supporting documents
o

Ship one hard copy set of the entire application and supporting materials to the address listed below.

o

On the date the hard copy application is submitted, email a Portable Document Format (PDF) version
of the entire hard copy set to the email addresses listed below. This email provides an alert to ADT
staff that your application packet has been shipped.

o

Photograph of tag: Submit a close up view of a sample tag (similar to the adjacent picture) as a digital
photo in JPG format with the email containing the pdf version of the application. If the tag is approved,
the photo will be used in the listing of official eartags. (See:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/devices.shtml).

 Sample Tags and Packaging
o Provide in the submission packet at least 20 samples of the applied for tag imprinted as defined in
Table 2 of the Appendix with the following numbers used for test:
-

Premises Number: ABC1234

-

State abbreviation: IA

o If the tag applied for is a 2-piece tag, provide at least 5 tags sets in one container or package in
numerical sequence being used to reflect how the male tag and female tag will be distributed as a
matched pair.

 Tag applicators
o Provide three applicators used to apply the tag being applied for. Indicate if the tagger functions with
other devices that your company is applying for AIN tag authorization. List those tags by your product
name. (You will not be required to forward additional taggers for those tags.)

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Submit Original Application (hard copy), Sample Tags and Taggers to:
USDA APHIS Veterinary Services
c/o Animal Traceability Staff
4700 River Road, Unit #200
Riverdale, Maryland 20737

Email PDF Application and Digital Photo to:
(Please send the email on the date the application packet is shipped.)
traceability@aphis.usda,gov

Direct Questions To:
Email: traceability@aphis.usda,gov
or phone

Daisy M. Witherspoon
301-851-3496
Sunny Geiser-Novotny
970-494-7372

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JUN 2018

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Appendix 1
Table 1 —Eartag Performance Standards
Performance Requirements
One-time use

The tag must be designed for one-time use (tamper evident), making it impossible to remove and
reapply the tag without visual evidence of tampering

Unalterable

The printing on the tag may not be readily altered.

Readability

The printing must be easily and reliably readable. The printing and color contrast of the PIN, the
Official Eartag Shield, lettering, and numbers are to be readable at a distance of 30 inches (0.75 m). .

Tag loss rates

On average, when applied in a manner approved by the manufacturer, not more than 5 percent of tags
applied may be lost in the year following application or in any year thereafter under normal field
conditions over the expected life of the tag. When applied just prior to entering slaughter channels, not
more than 1 percent of the tags may be lost while swine are in slaughter channels.

Expected tag life

The minimum time that a tag shall be expected to remain on an animal in a functional state (physically)
is for the expected life of the animal.

Tag toxicity and animal injury

Tags may do no harm to an animal or affect its health or well-being.
Tags may not cause chemical contamination of meat or edible offal or damage the hide.

Tag deterioration

There may be no diffusion of colorant from tags.
There may be no apparent physical deterioration (other than color) due to detrimental effects by UV
light, rain, heat (45C) and cold (-30C) or other environmental influences such as chemicals, mud,
urine, or manure for at least 5 years of wear.

Tag plasticity

Eartags may not split or crack under normal use.

Tag coupling/tensile strength

Tag coupling/tensile strength: Evaluation standards must conform to ICAR testing standards and, at
minimum, should comply with ISO standards 37 and 527.

Tag abrasion resistance

Tag abrasion resistance: Tags shall not exhibit damage or change due to wear, may be subjected to
ICAR testing standards and, at minimum, should comply with ISO standard 9352.

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Table 2 — Printing Standards and Description for Eartags
Printing Description
•

•

The portion of the eartag most visible to animal handlers and used as the primary identifier of the animal must:
o Be a minimum of 2 sq. inches in size;
o Bear the entire 7-digit PIN of the premises;
o Bear the Official Eartag Shield; and
o Bear the PIN and corresponding barcode on the reverse side.1
The portion of the eartag most visible to animal handlers and used as the primary identifier of the animal may:
o Include a management number. If a management number is applied by the manufacturer or at the premises, the
PIN and management number must be printed on separate lines.
o Include a management number in the barcode, provided the first 7 alpha numeric characters of the bar code
correspond to the PIN.

•

The text “UNLAWFUL TO REMOVE” must be imprinted on the tag.22

•

The font for all characters imprinted on the tag by the manufacturer must be Arial or, if different, approved by APHIS.

•

Print size for eartags must be a minimum height of 0.25 inches (6 mm) for numbers and letters of the PIN.

•
•

•

The U.S. Shield must be a minimum of 33 percent larger than the PIN print size. The minimum height and width is 0.33
inches (8 mm).2
An indentation of the manufacturer’s unique, copyrighted logo or trademark must be easily observed on the tag. Having such
information permanently imprinted on the tag is also acceptable, provided the print is on the back of the visual portion of the
tag.
Printing of other information may be authorized if it does not compromise the readability of required information.

1

Code 128 symbology is the preferred standard.
2
For producers, market operators, and animal health officials, etc., to recognize eartags as “official,” the U.S. Shield must be visible on the animal after
it is tagged. Similarly, in order to emphasize the need to maintain this identification for the life of the animal, the text “UNLAWFUL TO REMOVE” must
be clearly visible. Therefore, the U.S. Shield must be printed on both parts of a two-part tag, and “UNLAWFUL TO REMOVE” must be printed on a
portion of the eartag that is clearly visible following application. For PIN eartags for slaughter swine, “UNLAWFUL TO REMOVE” must be printed on
the back piece (outside of ear), but may also be printed on the front piece (inside of ear).

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