Thorsys Australia Pty Ltd · Thorsys Australia Pty Ltd Company Introduction T horsys Australia Pty Ltd ABN 66 074 620 054 Revision: 2.0a, Dated 8th January 2006 ... Spanish BackOffice

Thorsys Australia Pty Ltd

Company Introduction

T h o r s y s A u s t r a l i a P t y L t d ABN 66 074 620 054

Revision: 2.0a, Dated 8th January 2006

Visit our web page: www.thorsys.com.au

http://www.thorsys.com.au

Thorsys Australia - Company Introduction

Commercial In Confidence Date: 04/07/06 ii

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

1. THORSYS - The Business .................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background........................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Description of the business ................................................................................... 1 1.3 Product and services............................................................................................. 1 1.4 Location................................................................................................................ 2

2. KEY PERSONNEL ............................................................................................... 3 3. THORSYS – The Products and Solutions.......................................................... 7

3.1 Introduction........................................................................................................... 7 3.2 Flagship................................................................................................................ 8 3.3 Communications................................................................................................... 8 3.4 Multilingual Capability ........................................................................................... 9

Japanese Slaughter Floor Login.................................................................................................... 9 Spanish BackOffice Screen ........................................................................................................ 10

3.5 Multi Site Environments and Interfaces................................................................ 10 4. THORSYS – The Solution ................................................................................. 11

4.1 Our solution ........................................................................................................ 11 4.2 Our Experience – Why THORSYS....................................................................... 12 4.3 Product Features - Trace Back Summary ............................................................ 13 4.4 The benefits of using our Products and Solutions to the End Customer................ 15

5. THORSYS - White Papers ................................................................................. 17 5.1 The Slaughter Process ........................................................................................ 17 5.2 The Supermarket Process ................................................................................... 18 5.3 Stanbroke Beef Case Study................................................................................. 19

5.3.1 Other Company Profiles..................................................................................................... 19 5.3.2 Livestock and NLIS ........................................................................................................... 19 5.3.3 Processing (Kill Schedule) ................................................................................................. 20 5.3.4 Slaughter Floor.................................................................................................................. 20 5.3.4.1 Knocking Box................................................................................................................. 20 5.3.4.2 Head Terminal................................................................................................................ 21 5.3.4.3 Animal Health Terminal .................................................................................................. 21 5.3.4.4 Grading Terminal............................................................................................................ 21 5.3.5 Chiller Assessment............................................................................................................ 22 5.3.6 Boning Room Input ........................................................................................................... 22 5.3.7 Carton Weigh.................................................................................................................... 23 5.3.8 Carton Loadout.................................................................................................................. 23 5.3.9 If TRACE BACK is required ............................................................................................... 23 5.3.10 If TRACE FORWARD is required..................................................................................... 24

6. REFERENCE SITES........................................................................................... 25 7. COPYRIGHT NOTICE ........................................................................................ 26 8. CONFIDENTIALITY............................................................................................ 26 9. PRESS RELEASES............................................................................................ 27


Commercial In Confidence Date: 04/07/06 1

1. THORSYS - The Business 1.1 Background

Thorsys Australia (THORSYS) was established as a result of the merger of Thorsys Computers, established in 1991, and Bilara Enterprises, established in 1996.

THORSYS is an Australian company specialising in the development and implementation of information technology solutions for the Meat Industry, including TRACEABILITY products and services.

From its inception THORSYS has rapidly grown to become one of the most respected suppliers of information technology solutions for the Australian Meat Industry. With projects in Australia as well as in New Zealand and Japan, THORSYS provide one of the most advanced computing solutions for a highly specialised and demanding industry.

1.2 Description of the business

Thorsys Australia is a proprietary and independent company. The company is limited by shares. The company is registered under the Corporations Law of Queensland, Australia.

The company is open during normal Business Days. A business day means a day on which registered banks are open for business in Australia, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

1.3 Product and services

Products

q Application Software § Thorsys Production and Inventory Control System § Thorsys Meat Trace System § Thorsys Warehousing and Distribution System

q Specialised Hardware

§ Thorsys Touchterminals Ø Standard Ø Server Ø Mobile

§ Thorsys Label Applicator

Services

q Software Design and Development

q Software and Hardware Support

q Consultancy



q Thorsys Verification and Certification Testing

q Training

q Project Management

q Networking, Fibre Optic

Consumables

1.4 Location

Thorsys Australia is based in Australia. THORSYS’ main office is located at Suite 1, Level 8, 39 Sherwood Road, Toowong in Brisbane, Queensland. THORSYS also has small offices in Sydney and Adelaide.



2. KEY PERSONNEL Grant Haugen

• Company Information, Thorsys Australia Pty Ltd

- Position: Director, responsible for Research and Development

- Dates: 1991 to present

- Mobile: 61 409 819 826

- Fax: 61 2 6972 4855

- Email: [email protected]

• Curricular Education

- Academic Qualifications - HSC (Higher School) Certificate

• Non Curricular Education

- Application Design and Development

- MS Visual Basic, MS Visual C, Borland C, GUPTA, Algol, Pascal, APL, Fortran, Pick Basic

- Windows NT, 9x, 2000, MS SQL, ORACLE, Sybase, Pick, Unidata, Universe, MS Access

- Unix System Administration – Sequel

- Novell Systems Manager, Novell Service and Support, Comtech

- Quality Improvement Process

• Professional experience

- Professional Experience – 1984 to present

o Pre and Post Sales – Account Management

o System Development – System and Application Design, System Development, Solution Implementation, Design and implementation of new systems or system components, Research and Development activities for the development of new technologies and techniques

mailto:[email protected]



Tony Ascenso


- Position: Director, responsible for Administration and Project Management


- Mobile: 61 409 819 821

- Fax: 61 2 6972 4855





- Project and Account Management

- Application Design and Development

- Implementation Management

- Formal Testing Methodology, IBM GSA and Digital Equipment Corporation

- Microsoft Project

- Quality Improvement Process



o Pre and Post Sales – Account Management, Sales and Marketing

o System Development - Project Management, Solution Development, Solution Implementation, Application Design and System Acceptance, Design and implementation of new systems or system components




Terry Farrell


- Position: Business Systems Consultant, responsible for Software Support, Business Subject Matter Expert


- Company Address: 1/8, 39 Sherwood Rd., Toowong, QLD 4066, Australia

- Telephone: 61 7 3371 2788

- Mobile: 61 418 819 823

- Fax: 61 7 3371 6852





- Project and Account Management

- Implementation Management

- MS Access

- Windows NT, 9x, 2000, MS SQL



o IT Manager, Systems Support Officer, Northern Co-Operative Meat Company

o Pre and Post Sales – Account Management, Sales and Marketing

o System Development - Project Management, Solution Development, Solution Implementation, System Acceptance, Design and implementation of new systems or system components




Geoff Taylor


- Position: Hardware Support Manager, responsible for Hardware Support and Management, Hardware Design, product research and development


- Company Address: 1/8, 39 Sherwood Rd., Toowong, QLD 4066, Australia

- Telephone: 61 7 3371 2788

- Mobile: 61 412 174 438

- Fax: 61 7 3371 6852





- Radio and Television Service Trade Certificate

- Assoc. Diploma. Digital electronics

- Business Computer Hardware and Operating Systems

- Data entry, Key to disk Point of Sale Computer Systems and Network (WAN, LAN) Network Controller / SNA Concepts and Generation.

- Assembler / Operating System generation

- Product Specialist Lecturer



o Hardware Support Manager, Siemens Nixdorf

§ Monitoring product performance

§ Establishing National sparing requirements

§ Training Service Engineers

§ Technical liaison with Nixdorf Headquarters in Germany

§ Direct involvement with Design Engineers in Berlin for product modification / enhancements

§ Planning and Installation of Grace Bros, Katie’s, World 4 Kids, Freedom Furniture and BBC Retail Computer networks.




3. THORSYS – The Products and Solutions 3.1 Introduction

THORSYS has always been on the forefront of innovation and has successfully developed and installed:

q Radio frequency networking for real time evaluation and updating of product information using RF scanners, introduced and first installed in 1995.

q Boning Room Traceability systems (Individual Cut Identification), introduced and first installed in 1997, designed for single table boning providing individual weights for primal cuts, or chain boning providing individual identification of primal cuts.

q THORSYS Touch Terminals, introduced and first installed in 1997, specifically designed for the harsh operating environments experienced in a meat production facility. The current base version of the THORSYS Touch terminal consists of an industry compliant Pentium III computer.

q Compliance with EAN / UN ECE standards for barcoding of meat products, introduced and installed in 1999. THORSYS systems are fully compliant with EAN requirements.

q Interface to the Australian National Livestock Identification System, introduced and installed a national test site in 2000. The cattle identification transponder or tag reader is connected to one of the THORSYS Touch Terminals and the cattle identification is recorded and associated with the body, carcass, quarter and cut products.

THORSYS systems are fully compliant with Australian and international standards for the identification of meat products and have been designed to comply with Australian and UN ECE standards for product identification and labelling. Furthermore THORSYS systems include the capability of production of EAN accredited barcodes, these being a current requirement for barcoding standards to plants wishing to export to European Community countries. The Thorsys Production and Inventory Control System was originally designed in 1991, then continually updated to comply with the latest industry standard tools and techniques.

The system is implemented in a number of processing plants in Australia, New Zealand and Japan and provides one of the most reliable and proven methods for traceability of product, be it Livestock, Carcass or Carton product. The standard system facilitates identification of cuts and carcass product and the correlation of the same.

The system can be further enhanced and is prepared to accommodate DNA tracing techniques and has been interfaced successfully with MSA (Meat Standards Australia) grading for additional methods of Chiller Assessment of carcass product.



3.2 Flagship

THORSYS provides a paddock to plate meat TRACEABILITY system using barcode identification. The software is fully modular and offers the following modules:

q On-Floor Modules (run on a Harsh Environment Touch Terminal) –

√ Slaughter Floor Knocking Box √ Slaughter Floor Grading √ Boning Room Input √ Carton Weigh √ Carton Loadout √ Carcase Loadout

q Back-Office Modules –

√ Feedlot Management √ Livestock √ Stock and Inventory √ Order/Invoicing √ Production Costing √ Slaughter Floor √ Chiller Data Collection √ Carton Weigh √ Carcass Loadout √ Carton Loadout √ Distribution √ Menu Security √ Graphical Label Design √ Archiving

3.3 Communications

THORSYS application software solutions are designed to operate in an Open Environment allowing easy communications with other packages such as Accounting or Export Documentation systems.

The operating platform proposed for THORSYS systems, Windows Server 2000/2003, incorporates native INTERNET and E-Mail functionality.



3.4 Multilingual Capability

With Microsoft® Windows XP, both the THORSYS Onfloor and BackOffice programs can operate in almost any language. With the changing of one parameter in the Slaughter Floor Weighing program, a user can change the screen display from English to Japanese and back again. The BackOffice suite of programs allows the language to be set per user, so that when the user logs in, the system adjusts the language automatically. This allows different users on the network to run the same program from the server, but have their language of choice appear on their screen.

Furthermore, every string of text on every screen can now be adjusted or translated by the system administrator (after login). Local dialect or terminology would have previously required a program change, but now it is a matter of choosing the language and screen, and edit away. See the screen samples in the next page.

Japanese Slaughter Floor Login



Spanish BackOffice Screen

3.5 Multi Site Environments and Interfaces

The platform used for development and implementation simplifies the transfer of information between sites in a multi site environment as well as between associated plants utilising the same or compatible platforms.

THORSYS has implemented Internet based enquiries for operators in service abattoirs, real time access and update between sites and generic interfaces for accounting, debtors and creditors systems.

The transfer of information between associated plants depends solely on the specific requirements of each client and can be performed in various ways, such as: q Real time enquiry and transfer of updated information, when the operating

plants utilise the same development and communications platform,

q Internet access for inquiries and/or updating of information in remote sites, or,

q Batch transfer of information, usually in the form of text files, for the transfer of information between systems running under different development platforms.



4. THORSYS – The Solution 4.1 Our solution

THORSYS designed and provides a paddock to plate traceability system using barcode technology to provide trace-back and trace-forward functions if suspect product is found q Accurate traceability enables a much smaller quantity of product to be

recalled, therefore reducing the processor’s recall costs

q The data recorded is also used for Stock and Inventory Management purposes

Figure 1 - Traceability to guarantee meat safety and quality



4.2 Our Experience – Why THORSYS

THORSYS’ strong experience in providing traceability systems for the Australian Meat Industry will allow us to q Increase our market share in Australia

q Exploit the opportunity that has arisen for traceability systems following recent outbreaks of “mad cow” disease in countries like England, United States, Canada, Japan and China

Meat Traceability is our area of expertise

Food safety is the main emerging trend in the global meat industry and increasingly legislation is making the adoption of a system like ours compulsory.

THORSYS’ have a reference site in Okinawa, Japan, to demonstrate our product to prospective international clients

THORSYS’ systems have multi lingual capabilities. The system in Japan is fully translated to Japanese

Clients choose THORSYS because we deliver cost effective solutions to their businesses. Our four-step approach is a guarantee that projects will be up and running. For every client, we do: q Assess their requirements

q Develop a tailor made solution where and when required, based on our own Software Development Life Cycle and Quality Assurance methodologies

q Create a team to implement the solution

q Evaluate and review the results



4.3 Product Features - Trace Back Summary

The THORSYS Production and Inventory Control System provides traceability at the following stages of the production process –

q At the Paddock

√ Whole of life eartags or rumen pellets are applied to cattle with unique Ids.

q At the Abattoir

√ The unique ID is read, checked for exception testing and recorded against the slaughter details and barcode using the Slaughter Floor Knocking Box Module.

√ The barcode is then the unique identifier √ A DNA Sample is collected, stored and associated with the barcode

using the Chiller Data Collection Module. A BSE sample is currently taken in Japan (using the Slaughter Floor Grading Module), and all carcases placed on hold until the results are returned

q At the Boning Room

√ The barcode is scanned and checked to see if any tests are required and that the side has passed the BSE test (in Japan). These functions are performed using the Boning Room Input Module.

√ Individual cut barcodes are produced and placed on the meat using the Cut Tracking Module.

q At the Packing/Carton Station

√ Each cut barcode is scanned as it is placed into a carton and an external EAN barcode is produced, associating the cuts with the carton barcode using the Carton Weigh Module

q At Dispatch/Loadout.

√ The carton barcodes are scanned to an order, and incorrect cartons rejected using the Carton Loadout Module.

q At the Customer

√ At the customer site, if further slicing occurs, the customer scans the cut barcode on the cryovac bag, then a small copy of the barcode is produced uniquely identifying the meat in the tray pack. This is an option for the Cut Tracking Module.



q On the Plate

√ Consumers can buy in confidence knowing that if a problem is discovered, immediate recall notices will be available, showing which stores were affected and on which days the meat was purchased. This facility is provided by the Stock and Inventory Module of the processor who supplied the product

q TraceBack

√ If Trace Back is required, the label on the packaging can be used to uniquely identify the meat in question

√ If the label is not present, but some of the meat is available, a DNA check can be made to uniquely identify the meat in question

√ If a recall is required, all other meat from that body/property/processing day etc can be found at the touch of a button.



4.4 The benefits of using our Products and Solutions to the End Customer

Our Products and solutions offer the following major benefits to End Customers

√ Stop/Prevent the spread of BSE if/when it occurs by offering paddock to plate meat traceability. This offers peace of mind to consumers and processors

√ Customisation to customer’s requirements provides a guarantee of a solution that fits in with the business needs not vice-versa

√ Guarantee of compliance with legislation. This offers peace of mind to producers and processors specially for export plants

√ Operational Savings oReduced data entry labour costs

§ THORSYS solutions virtually eliminate the tedious data entry associated with manual processing of warehouse/location transactions

oReduced material handling labour costs/increased productivity § THORSYS systems direct material handlers to optimal locations

for picking and put away, reducing travel times and increasing throughput

oIncreased inventory accuracy § THORSYS systems rely on the latest barcode scanning

technology (and standards) which is inherently error-free. Inventory accuracy post-implementation approaches the 100% mark

oReduced inventory carrying costs § THORSYS systems enable increased inventory velocity.

Combined with improved inventory accuracy, this enables standing inventory to be significantly reduced. With inventory carrying costs are estimated at 20-30% of inventory value, inventory reduction is a substantial source of savings.

oElimination of product loss from expiration § THORSYS systems enforce both first-in-first-out (FIFO) and

first-expired-first-out (FEFO) distribution models and ensure that each customer receives product that matches date requirements.

oReal-time integration § THORSYS systems provide real time inventory levels, therefore

eliminate manual data entry, increase accuracy, improve planning, and enable on floor supervisors to query the systems for up-to-the-minute data on production orders, shipping orders, etc.



oImproved customer service § THORSYS systems increase shipping accuracy and reduce the

costs associated with meeting customer-specific orders. THORSYS systems enable the operators to set customer-specific rules for shipping, lot tracking, date, etc.

oOther benefits include § Reduced training time for new employees, § Ability to optimize warehouse space, § Plant-wide availability of data, § Computer generated reporting, § Reduced recall scope savings



5. THORSYS - White Papers 5.1 The Slaughter Process

The Slaughter process starts in the Lairages (livestock holding pens). On arrival, animals are distributed to appropriate pens and can be weighed and tagged. If required the system can incorporate barcode or RF eartag functionality. It is suggested that the use of eartags may assist in the exact tracking of animals through the pre-slaughter process as well as through the production and distribution process when the animals are scheduled for kill. Using appropriate documentation provided by the transport company, producer or operator, lairage personnel will accept stock and assign it to specific locations or pens. This information is then used to prepare a Kill Agenda, which dictates the order in which the animals will be slaughtered. This Kill Agenda can be printed and is also available on all Slaughter Floor Touch Terminals. Touch Terminals can be installed on the Slaughter Floor in the following positions:

q The knocking box/bleed line to record Live Weight, Sex, Eartag and Tailtag data.

q At the beginning of the head chain to record Dentition (age) data. q On the viscera table to record Offal Defects and Disease data. q At final inspection to record Trim Defects and Condemnation data. q At the grading station to record Hot Standard Carcase Weight, Fat

Depth, Grade, etc. Some of these functions can be combined depending on the layout of the Slaughter Floor thus reducing the amount of Touch Terminals required. As carcasses are processed through the slaughtering process, the Touch Terminals are used to collect carcase information. Identification of carcasses through the slaughtering process can be achieved using food-approved pen, stamp or body ticket. All information is continually added and updated to the central database, allowing real time kill progress enquires from any workstation located throughout the plant. On arrival to the Grading Station the system identifies the body number and provides body details to the operator of the Grading workstation. Carcase tickets are produced at this workstation that identifies each body with an EAN barcode. Other information available for printing on the carcase ticket includes

q Body Number q Lot Number q Production Date q Hot Standard Carcase Weight q Sex q Dentition q Company Name q Customer Name

This carcase ticket is then used to identify the body throughout the rest of the production process.



5.2 The Supermarket Process

Individual Cut Identification can be achieved with the addition of a Touch Terminal, Scale and Printer located on the boning table of the Supermarket. The carcase ticket is scanned prior to commencement of boning. As the boner drops each cut onto the table, the packer places the cut on the scale, selects the cut from a list of available products for that body, the program will then weight range the cut and produce a label with appropriate details. This USDA approved label for food contact is then placed on the cut. This label includes a unique barcode with human readable information to identify the body from which it came, as well as the cut details. Identification could then be traced back from this cut (via the barcode) to the body number on a particular slaughter day, hence the operator, farmer etc. These individual cuts can then be scanned into a carton or retail ready pack. Once complete a label is produced identifying the product contained in the retail ready pack or carton and this information is immediately updated on- line to the central database making the information available for enquires. The barcode produced for retail ready packs includes pricing information, and can be scanned at the supermarket checkout register. Additionally, if several retail ready packs are placed into a carton the system can produce a label to be placed on the carton identifying the individual packs.



5.3 Stanbroke Beef Case Study

The following information is a commercially operating meat production system displaying the application of Thorsys and Genetic Solutions technology to provide product identification, tracking and traceability.

5.3.1 Other Company Profiles Stanbroke Beef Pty Ltd (former Valley Beef Company Pty Ltd) is one of Australia’s most modern and technologically advanced export accredited meat processing plants. The plant is located at Grantham, which is approximately 100 kilometres west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Genetic Solutions Genetic Solutions provides leading edge genetic information technology for the livestock and aquaculture industries in Australia and globally. Genetic Solutions products are based on a comprehensive intellectual property portfolio of DNA and gene marker information. Genetic Solutions products, which include SureTRAK®, GeneSTAR® and SireTRACE™ are used by livestock production and processing companies to provide product security through definitive traceability, improve product quality and production efficiency.

5.3.2 Livestock and NLIS On arrival to the plant, animals are distributed to appropriate pens. The Information gathered at this stage includes:

o Operator number o Sale names saleyards, agent, etc. o Dress Code o Pen or location identification o Breed o Category o Species o Number of head received by species o Number of head dead in transport by species o Cleanliness and defects o Brand o Tailtag / Eartag identification o Transport company o Truck number o Destination code (carcass loadout or carton product)

All animals have either a Tailtag and/or an Eartag attached. The Tailtag is used to provide Property of Origin identification and the Eartag is used to provide individual animal identification. It is suggested that Eartags be used to assist in the



exact tracking of animals through the pre-slaughter process as well as through the production and distribution process when the animals are scheduled for kill. If the producer has adhered to the Australian National Livestock Identification System the system is prepared to fully integrate with NLIS.

The National Livestock Identification Scheme (NLIS) is a system of permanent identification of cattle using devices imbedded with an electronic microchip. The device is read electronically and the information is held on a national database. The database will provide information relating to the animal, such as disease and residue status, market eligibility and commercial information. The database is available for all industry sectors with password access. NLIS delivers cattle producers a simple, national identification system which allows cattle to be identified once, for life - Providing recording efficiency and accuracy through electronic readers and transfer of information to the database. The database will provide information on lost, stolen and mortgaged cattle and notify the relevant people if the identification number is recorded at any saleyard or abattoir in the future.

5.3.3 Processing (Kill Schedule) Using the data gathered during the Livestock Receipt process, a proposed Kill Agenda is created. After the kill has been scheduled, a Kill Agenda is then available to be printed. All schedule details are immediately available to the Slaughter Floor Terminals.

5.3.4 Slaughter Floor

5.3.4.1 Knocking Box A Touch Terminal with a Radio Frequency (RF) tag Reader is installed in the Knocking Box Area. At this station animals are assigned a Run Number and Body Number that will be used to assist with trace-back throughout the production process. If the animal has a RF eartag attached it is scanned at this station. Prior to this a list of Property Identification Codes (PIC) that are to be killed is entered in the NLIS web page and a resulting file with all the RF Identification information is downloaded into the Thorsys database. As the tags are scanned they are matched against the downloaded data for determination of European Union or other eligibility. At the end of each processing day, a file is created from the Thorsys database and is uploaded to the NLIS web site for transfer of kill details. This allows producers to access the individual animal information through the database and link it to the on-farm data on performance, management, genetics etc. All information recorded at this station is continually added and updated to the central database, allowing real time kill data enquires from any workstation located throughout the plant.



5.3.4.2 Head Terminal A Terminal is located at the head removal point, and the age or dentition of each body is recorded here. The information is updated real-time to the central Thorsys database.

5.3.4.3 Animal Health Terminal

A Terminal is located at the viscera table to record offal condemnations for each carcase. The operator selects the organ to be condemned then selects the reason for condemnation. This information is continually added to the central Thorsys database and allows Valley Beef to provide the producer with Animal Heath information for each carcase.

5.3.4.4 Grading Terminal Carcass identification is a continual process, having been captured in previous terminals by the recording of the body number. On arrival of bodies to the Grading station the system identifies the body number and provides body and side information to the operator of the Grading Terminal. The body is weighed and a fat measurement taken at this point. Once all information (including Run Number) has been confirmed a Carcase Ticket with a barcode containing Body Number and Production Date information is produced and attached to each side of the body. Information on this Ticket includes:

o Body number o Side and or Quarter o Lot Number o Production date o HSCW, per body or side o AUSMEAT Category o Fat depth or code o Sex o Dentition o Butt Shape o Bruise code o Operator code or name o Company name o Market

This barcode is then used to identify the body throughout the rest of the production process. The Body Number in the barcode provides a link back to the Eartag and Tailtag that in turn provides a link back to the Producer and Property of Origin.



5.3.5 Chiller Assessment After appropriate chilling time, Chiller Assessment takes place. Certified Chiller Assessors use Radio Frequency (RF) scanners to scan the carcase ticket and enter Chiller Assessment Information (fat colour, meat colour, marbling, (optional texture/firmness, PH) and this information is updated immediately to the central database. A DNA sample is also taken at this stage. The barcode from the DNA sample collector is recorded in the database against the body record (via the RF scanners) to be used for trace-back and audit purposes as required. Samples are collected in Genetic Solutions patented sample collectors. Each collector is tamper proof and seals the sample. In addition each collector has a unique barcode which is scanned and can also be visually checked. The sample for collection must be muscle (not blood, fat, offal or hide). Sample size needs to be wafer thin and approximately the size of the indicator square on the back of the SureTRAK DNA Sample Collector (approximately the size of a small fingernail). If the samples are too large and wet, sample collectors may stick together and cross contamination may occur. Sample Collectors need to be counted and packaged into appropriate envelopes for shipping to Genetic Solutions. Up to 100 samples are to be stored in C5 sized envelopes, over 100 and up to 500 samples are stored in C4 sized envelopes. Information on the front of each envelope allows storage, archiving and tracking of samples when a Traceback is required. This information includes:

o Plant Name (location of sample collection).

o Plant Number (Establishment number)

o Start Kill Date (date animals were killed)

o Finish Kill Date (if all the samples in envelope were killed on the same day, then same as the Start Kill Date. If not, then the last day of kill for the samples in the envelope)

o Grader ID (operative that collected the samples)

Samples are then shipped to Genetic Solutions for drying, database entry and archiving.

5.3.6 Boning Room Input Sides are moved to a position prior to entering the Boning Room across a track scale. The tag produced on the Slaughter Floor is scanned at this point and each body is assigned to a Run Number. The Cold Weight is also recorded. All this information as well as the time that the side was scanned into the Boning Room is updated onto the central database.



5.3.7 Carton Weigh After vacuum packing, cuts are placed in cartons by the operators at the Carton Weigh Labelling Stations. Work station operators select the Run Number being processed through the Boning Room and they then have available to them the Product Specifications as determined by the production-scheduling operator. The Carton Weigh Station operator selects the product being packed and a barcode label is then produced identifying the product contained in the carton and this information is immediately updated to the central database. This barcode contains a carton number and production date, which provide a link back to the Run Number.

5.3.8 Carton Loadout Cartons to be shipped have had an order previously raised within the Sales Order system. This Sales Order contains all customer and shipping details. When required to be loaded, the order is released to the shipping department. Cartons are then scanned to the Order with a RF scanner and the order number is recorded on the carton record on the database. When the order has been completely scanned a shipping summary is produced which shows both summarised and detailed information of the cartons scanned to this order.

5.3.9 If TRACE BACK is required If TRACE BACK is required, the following applies q The amount of information obtained from the customer relates directly to the

ease of the traceback q A sample of the meat in question is always required

q If the carton label is present:- o Record the Carton barcode details o Carton barcode has production information o Valley Beef will interrogate the Thorsys database and ascertain the Run

Number the product originated from o All bodies for that Run Number are then identified o A DNA test is then carried out for all samples taken from the bodies in this

run to find the match

q If the carton label is not present: o A list of all cartons sent to the customer for the order or date in question is

obtained from the carton/order scanning records o The carton barcodes containing the product number in question are

selected o Valley Beef will interrogate the Thorsys database and ascertain the Run

Number the product originated from o All bodies for that Run Number are then identified



o A DNA test is then carried out for all samples taken from the bodies in this run to find the match.

5.3.10 If TRACE FORWARD is required If TRACE FORWARD is required, the following applies q Once the side or sides have been identified, the system allows for trace

forward to occur q The system can identify all cartons produced from the Run Number involved q The carton barcodes have recorded against them the orders to which they

were sent, or the location if they are still in stock q A recall notice can then be sent to each customer, identifying the problem and

action to be taken for each carton



6. REFERENCE SITES Some reference sites and contacts are provided below:

• Northern Co-operative Meat Company (Casino, New South Wales, Australia), Thorsys Production and Inventory Control System

Contact: Dennis Wyatt, Manager, Sales & Marketing, +61 2 6662 2444

• Stanbroke Beef Pty Ltd (Grantham, Queensland, Australia), Thorsys Abattoir System

Contact: David Scott, Financial Controller, +61 7 4697 6188

• Swickers Kingaroy Bacon Factory (Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia), Thorsys Production and Inventory control System

Contact: Morty Douglass, Chief Technology Officer +61 7 4162 2166

• H.W. Greenham & Sons (Tongala and Port Melbourne, Victoria, Smithton, Tasmania, Australia), Thorsys Production and Inventory Control System

Contact: Grant Ryan, Financial Controller, +61 3 9696 0054

• Australia Country Choice Pty Ltd (Morningside, Queensland, Australia), Thorsys Production and Inventory Control System

Contact: Fred Vilonel, IT Manager, +61 7 3399 8399

• Darling Downs Foods (Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia), Thorsys Production and Inventory Control System

Contact: Alex Holloway, +61 7 4690 6064

• Levin Meats Limited (Cnr Hokio Beach and Hamaria Rds, Levin, North Island, New Zealand), Thorsys Production and Inventory Control System

Contact: Larry Hine, Accountant, 6368 4009

• Rockdale Beef Pty Ltd (Yanco, New South Wales, Australia), Thorsys Production and Inventory Control System

Contact: Robert Yarnold, IT Manager, +61 2 6951 1135

• QAF Meat Industries (Corowa, New South Wales, Australia), Thorsys Production and Inventory control System

Contact: Steve McIntosh, Group IT Officer +61 2 6033 8333



7. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Several brand names are enclosed or mentioned in this document.

The following names are the property of Thorsys Australia Pty Ltd and subject to copyright restrictions.

THORSYS,

Thorsys Meat Trace System ,

Thorsys Production and Inventory Control System ,

Thorsys Warehousing and Distribution System ,

Thorsys T200 Touch Terminals

Other brand names may be mentioned in the document which are property of the companies indicated by the product name, and are used in the document to refer to products supplied by or used by Thorsys Australia in the design, development and production of THORSYS equipment and software.

8. CONFIDENTIALITY All information provided in this document is the property of Thorsys Australia Pty Ltd and cannot be divulged without prior written consent by Thorsys Australia Pty Ltd.



9. PRESS RELEASES



Tracking from plate to farm Anthony Marx 28Jan04 HAVE no fear the next time you eat a steak in Tokyo. A Brisbane IT firm has provided one of Japan's newest abattoirs with the technology to trace back individual cuts of meat to its source animal.

The move to "traceable T-bones" is part of a Japanese Government initiative requiring all meat processing plants to install such systems as part of the fight against foot and mouth disease and the human strain of mad cow disease known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

Toowong-based company Thorsys Australia delivered the $300,000-plus system last year for the newly built Okinawa Meat Centre with the assistance of equipment supplier Advance Food Technology and CSIRO's Food Science Australia.

"Trace-back systems use computer-based technology designed to record data about animals as they enter the abattoir," Thorsys business systems consultant Terry Farrell said.

"The system produces documents and bar codes to track the meat through processing to the consumer. This traceability is crucial in ensuring the safety of meat products."

Mr Farrell said the animals entered the slaughter house displaying an ear or tail tag with information about where it was raised. Once the meat was boned and cut to primals, each piece received a bar code that included information about the body number and kill date of the animal.

He said 12 terminals in the plant were used to identify meat from about 30 slaughtered animals each day and Thorsys had committed to providing on-going maintenance and support.

Such trace-back systems are already required in Australia for meat exports, although product destined for domestic consumption is subject to less stringent regulation.

Mr Farrell said the ability to track individual packs of meat was rare in Australia, although identification could lead back to cartons and a production run in a boning room.

Thorsys started work in Brisbane about 10 years ago and helped the South Australian Meat Corporation implement a tracing system which is compatible with any food processing industry.

© Herald and Weekly Times



Know your cow

From farm to fork – the whole life of your Australian beef is carefully recorded. Traceability programs allow beef to be traced from the product’s destination back to the farm. Livestock can be

traced to individual farms and properties through an eight-digit Property Identification Code (PIC). The code is recorded on a tag

attached to the animal, and each animal can be checked on a central database.

A recent agreement signed between Itochu Corporation of Japan and CSIRO – Australia’s national research organisation – will see Australian technology adopted in Japan. The system – from meat industry computer solutions company Thorsys – labels beef cuts with barcodes (pictured above) to improve animal trace-back and

hence raise consumer confidence. The technology is also endorsed in the United States by the US Department of

Agriculture.

“It’s a piece of USDA-approved plastic printed with USDA-approved ink that sits on top of the cut of meat,” says Terry Farrell

at Thorsys. “It can tell you where and when the animal was slaughtered and also where it was born.”

Article by Invest Australia. >> www.investaustralia.gov.au

http://www.investaustralia.gov.au



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Thorsys Australia Pty Ltd · Thorsys Australia Pty Ltd Company Introduction T horsys Australia Pty Ltd ABN 66 074 620 054 Revision: 2.0a, Dated 8th January 2006 ... Spanish BackOffice