Birth Date Verification Threshold Changes to Better Reflect On-Farm Realities

Please see https://www.canadaid.ca/sustainable-beef/age-verification for more information

After consulting with industry, the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) requested that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) BSE team adjust the CLTS birth date verification threshold from 9 months to 12 months (365 days) to better reflect on-farm operational realities and the production and record-keeping systems currently in place.

Effective October 1, 2026, the Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) birth date notification will change from 9 months to 12 months (365 days), providing producers with additional time to enter or update birth date information before a notification is applied. The 12-month threshold will apply consistently to both initial birth date entries and subsequent birth date modifications. Existing records with a notification under the previous nine-month threshold will have the notification removed if the birth date was entered within 12 months. This is a one-time update to align existing records with the new 12-month threshold. Going forward, once a notification is applied to a record, the notification cannot be removed.

It is important to note that age verification is voluntary and is not mandatory regulated reporting in Canada. Producers may voluntarily record birth date information in the CLTS for animals born on their farm and identified with an approved CCIA indicator. When a herd of origin producer chooses to enter a birth date in the Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS), that information creates a record that can remain associated with the animal throughout its life. Only the herd of origin can submit a birth date, and once an animal has left the farm of origin and ownership has changed, the new owner cannot enter or modify the animal’s birth date.

The birth date verification notification is not new. It was introduced in 2022 at the request of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) BSE Program. Following industry feedback, the threshold is being updated to better reflect on-farm production and record-keeping realities.

Producers can voluntarily record the birth date of animals born on their farm and identified with an approved CCIA indicator to support age verification. Age verification is not mandatory, and birth date information is not mandatory regulated reporting in Canada.

For the herd of origin producer, having accurate birth date information recorded in the CLTS provides a record that may support future marketing or program opportunities where age information is requested.

For industry, the notification helps maintain transparency around when birth date information was recorded or changed. A notification does not mean the producer has done anything wrong, is non-compliant, or that the birth date is inaccurate. It simply indicates that the birth date was entered or modified after the established 12-month threshold as of October 1, 2026.

Entering a birth date remains the producer’s choice. CCIA’s role is to provide the CLTS tools to record that information and support the transparency and integrity of the information maintained in the system.

Where birth date information is entered and is going to be relied upon for determining whether cattle are over or under 30 months of age, CFIA needs that information to be reliable and accurate:

• Determining whether cattle are over 30 months (OTM) or under 30 months (UTM) is important to Canada's BSE safeguards because the specified risk material (SRM) that must be removed differs based on the animal's age.

• Age can be determined through dentition or reliable birth date documentation. When reliable birth date information is available, it can be used instead of dentition.

• Birth date entry into CCIA's CLTS and the other Canadian traceability databases is voluntary.

• The rules around when a birth date can be entered or modified are there to protect the reliability of that information. Without controls around birth date entry and modification, CFIA advised that the databases could not be relied upon as a basis for determining cattle age.

• Where birth date information is identified as potentially estimated, dentition may need to be used at slaughter for age determination.

The Guidance on Specified Risk Material on the CFIA website explains animal aging is a critical control point in a Preventive Control Plan at federal meat establishments, and that this may be done with birth date documentation or dentition.

What does the CLTS birth date notification actually mean?

Beginning October 1, if a birth date is entered or modified more than 12 months after the animal’s reported date of birth, the CLTS will generate a notification for the record. This notification will appear in the animal’s tag history and on its birth certificate.

Importantly, the notification does not mean the producer has done something wrong, is non-compliant, or that the birth date is considered inaccurate. It is a transparency and data-integrity indicator showing that the birth date was entered or changed after the established 12-month threshold.

A notification does not require any additional verification steps from the producer. CCIA or CFIA will not automatically contact a producer to verify the birth date simply because a notification appears on the record.

For example, if an older cow loses a tag and the producer re-tags the animal and enters an accurate birth date, a notification may be generated because the information was entered after 12 months. The notification itself does not indicate that the birth date is incorrect.

Why does the timing of birth date information matter?

Birth date information may be used at slaughter to help determine whether an animal is under 30 months of age, which may affect the animal's value. If an animal's age is in question, dentition is considered the most accurate method of age determination.

If you choose to record birth date information in the CLTS, enter it before the animal reaches 12 months of age to avoid the birth date notification.

If you have further questions, please contact CCIA at 1-877-909-2333 or info@canadaid.ca.