Several livestock and meat-related crises have given rise to increased worldwide consumer concern over meat safety and an increased desire for information about the meat products they purchase. During the past several years, a series of food safety and animal disease crises has occurred in the European Union (EU), including dioxin contamination of livestock feed, the announcement of the possible link between Bovine Spongiform Encephalophathy (BSE) and new-variant Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease, and outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease and classical swine fever. Many EU consumers have lost confidence in the safety of meat products (especially beef) and in the ability of regulatory agencies to protect the food supply. Not surprisingly, the European Union now leads most other countries in the development and mandatory implementation of traceability protocols for livestock and meat products.