From Your Operation to Global Trade: The Bigger Role of Your Calving Book

At Samson, we take pride in delivering cattle that are fully traceable and ready for premium beef markets around the world—and a major piece of that is birth records.

You’ve probably heard about age verification in the context of exports to Japan. After a 2003 BSE case, Japan restricted beef imports to cattle under 20 months. To qualify, U.S. suppliers had to prove the age of every animal —and accurate birth records were at the heart of that process. The age restriction has since been lifted to 30 months, which is able to be verified at the plant by evaluating carcasses. Yet, age verification remains a key issue in the beef industry- for both exports and domestic sales.

Many U.S. plants have food safety systems (HACCP plans) that require end-of-shift harvests and equipment cleaning procedures for cattle over 30 months of age. That means age-verified cattle can help streamline operations, reduce costs, and keep your cattle moving through the system efficiently.

Age verification is also required under the Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) program, which allows U.S. beef to enter the European Union through another USDA EV Program.

In short, we keep asking for your birth records because:

✔️ It keeps your cattle eligible for export to EU
✔️ It keeps your cattle moving smoothly through domestic processing plants
✔️ It supports food safety, efficiency, and higher market value for all segments of production.

At Samson, collecting birth records isn’t just a formality—it’s your passport to opportunity. Thanks for doing your part to keep U.S. beef trusted and competitive worldwide.