The history of meat

The meat sector has always been the country's leading export sector, and nowadays solid work is being done to reaffirm the hegemony of the sector by applying projects and programs in search for the most demanding certifications concerning international quality.

400 years ago, in July 1608, Hernandarias defined our territory as one of great use for farming and cattle raising owing to the excellent quality of its land.

Ever since that moment the origin of cattle raising the meat has been the country´s main economic resource, and 400 years later this product is accompanied by all the information allowing it to tell its own history, from nature to consumer.

Meat production in Uruguay is supported by the ability and expertise of all links of the agro industrial chain, as well as by Institutions that ensure the animal health, the meat safety, and the commercial quality required by customers.

The country has had a group traceability system for over 30 years now, and more recently, it has implemented individual traceability mechanisms that make it possible to trace animals from their origin up to slaughter plants.

At plants, by combining the information provided by the double ear-tag system of the SIRA (Animal Identification and Registration) with the Electronic Information System for the Beef Industry (SEIIC, also known as Black Boxes), it is possible to identify a beef cut and the animal where it came form.
The combination of both systems turns Uruguay into the only country in the world able to have the record of its entire cattle herd, and of all its beef exports.
This, whose main strength is to offer guarantees as to cattle health controls and meat safety, also allows the country to ensure the chain of custody, meaning it is possible to know about changes in ownership of products during production, transport, processing, storage, and trade, i.e. from calf`s birth to the final consumer.