User:Bgolden/sandbox

Introduction

On June 22, 2007, the International Standards Organisation (ISO) appointed ICAR as the Registration Authority (RA) competent to register manufacturer codes used in the radio frequency identification (RFID) of animals in accordance with ISO 11784 and ISO 11785.

ICAR has administrative procedures in place for testing the conformance of RFID devices with respect to ISO 11784 and ISO 11785, and only ICAR-accredited test centres can conduct the ICAR certification testing. In addition, ICAR offers evaluations on various quality and performance features of livestock identification devices and transceivers that are tested for conformance with ISO 11784 and ISO 11785.  A wide range of evaluations is also available for conventional plastic ear tags.

Definitions and terminology

Table 1. Definitions of terms used in these guidelines.
Term	Definition
RFID devices	Animal identification devices (ear tags, leg tags, boluses, injectable transponders) using radio-frequency identification technology.
Conventional ear tags	Visual ear tags used for animal identification that do not use RFID technology. These devices may or may not be machine readable (barcoded).
Registration Authority (RA)	Authority appointed by ISO, competent to register manufacturer codes used in the radio frequency identification of animals in accordance with ISO standards 11784 and 11785.
Test centre	ICAR-accredited laboratory that carries out tests on animal identification devices.
Registration	The granting of shared/unshared manufacturer codes and unique product codes as defined in ISO 11784.
Manufacturer code	A 3-digit number granted by ICAR to a manufacturer.
Certification	ICAR service additional to the registration of devices, with 5-year validity.
Re-certification	ICAR service for devices whose certification has expired after 5 years.
Competent Authority (CA)	Ministry or organisation responsible for national animal identification schemes.
Voluntary sampling	ICAR quality verification service for certified devices available on the market.

Scope

Section 10 of the ICAR Guidelines covers the testing and certification procedures, from the submission of the application by a manufacturer to the publication of the certification on the ICAR website, and the re-certification and/or sampling of the product.

Figure 1. Scope of Section 10: Testing and certification of animal identification devices

Figure 1. Scope of Section 10: Testing and certification of animal identification devices

Application

The procedure for any type of test and certification starts with an application submitted by the manufacturer to the ICAR Secretariat. The Secretariat reviews the application, selects the test centre, issues an umbrella contract (for initial applicants), and issues the invoice which upon payment testing commences. Financial transactions between manufacturers, test centres and ICAR are coordinated by the ICAR Secretariat. Testing can only occur when the manufacturer sends all the necessary devices and accessories to the test centre. The devices and accessories remain the property of ICAR.