IBM Tracks Pork Chops From Pig To Plate 216
dcblogs writes "IBM is deploying technology in China that allows meat suppliers to track a single pig all the way from farm animal to pork chop. Pigs are initially identified with a barcoded ear tag. This identification is then put on bins used to track the various pig parts as they pass through the slaughterhouse, processing plant, distribution center and finally to the clear plastic-wrapped package in a grocer's case. If a consumer buys three pork chops in a package, 'you know that these three pieces of pork chop came from pig number 123,' said Paul Chang, who leads global strategy for emerging technologies at IBM. The goal is to control disease outbreaks, but theoretically this technology could allow a grocer to put a picture on the store package of the pig you are eating."
The real goal (Score:5, Insightful)
I would like a more stylish ear tag when you start doing this on humans, please.
Meet the meat (Score:4, Insightful)
Does Douglas Adam's estate get to sue if we get an introduction of our pork by our pork?
More people turning vegetarian? (Score:5, Insightful)
theoretically this technology could allow a grocer to put a picture on the store package of the pig you are eating
Considering how disconnected the average person is from where their food comes from, I think putting a face on the meat you're buying would turn many people's stomachs -- and maybe turn them off eating meat. Oh well, more bacon for the rest of us!
IBM already did this (Score:5, Insightful)
Wont work in the USA. (Score:4, Insightful)
Americans don't want to see the face of the pig they are eating, In fact most don't want to hear how you kill and process and animal. Putting a photo of the pig on the package will guarantee a drop in sales.
Great! (Score:2, Insightful)
We've been doing this in Europe for quite a few years now...
Gets old... (Score:4, Insightful)
Everyone know that the part of IBM operating in Germany worked with the government of the time helping with some of the most heinous institutionalized in human history. However, there is a good chance you can't find a single person currently in IBM's employ who was even *born* when that was happening. Implying that IBM continues to be a company worthy of scorn even now due to this is not that far off from calling Germany a despicable country. We must never forget and specific examples of how organizations were complicit in the whole thing helps to keep perspective, but in any way implying the IBM of *today* has any blame for what was done by people who have no invlovlement in IBM at all anymore is not productive.
Re:First Yea!!! (Score:5, Insightful)
If you get grossed out because of your food, then most likely you don't know much about it. If you grow up on a farm and see how your food is produces and made from what and how... You have respect for it, you know to clean it before hand, and how to properly prepare it.
I eat meat, I know it comes from animals, and most of these animals have a distinct personality and if they weren't going to be food I could be friends with it, and have it as a loving pet. When I eat meat I don't joy over the fact that I am eating a dead animal, I take into consideration that this animal has died for my sustenance (and hence why I don't often wast meet).
Re:The real goal (Score:4, Insightful)
I had no idea what you were searching for with that
I was searching for the specific article I remembered reading that contained all those keywords.
The article dealt with China, Japanese supermarkets, vegetables and photos of japanese farmers. The article contains all my keywords. Your query does not mention China, supermarkets. My query does.
I'm a nerd. I don't need a search engine or person to "second guess" what I really want. I give the keywords, give me non-link-spam/non-spam articles with all those keywords. If the results are not what I want, I can adjust it for myself. I don't want to try to read Google's "mind" that's trying to read my mind. I don't want to have to put double quotes around every frigging keyword.
With this sort of results, it's no surprise it's getting harder to search for work related stuff. When I search for something, there's often a chance that the answer does NOT exist on any webpage out there. When that happens, I'm fine if there are zero pages returned. Because I can stop searching and try to figure it out the answers myself. What is useless is 300000 pages that don't contain all my search terms. Then I have to figure out whether the answer isn't published or it's because the search engines all suck and I need to try different sorts of queries...