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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE APPROVES DIGITAL ANGEL LIVESTOCK
RFID TAGGING SYSTEM FOR NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION
PROGRAM
First Livestock Tagging System to Win Government
Approval for Program To Protect the Health of U.S. Livestock
SO. ST. PAUL, MN (Aug. 1, 2006) … Digital Angel Corporation
(Amex: DOC), an advanced technology company in the field of rapid and
accurate identification, location tracking, and condition monitoring of
high-value assets, announced today that its electronic RFID (radio
frequency identification) livestock tagging system has been approved by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for use in the National Animal
Identification System (NAIS). Digital Angel is the first animal tag
manufacturer to be designated as an Animal Identification (AIN) tag
manufacturer by the USDA, which signifies that the Company’s tagging
system is capable of identifying livestock with the unique, lifetime
animal identification number that is being established as a national
standard through the NAIS.
The NAIS, a cooperative program between
the state and federal governments and the livestock industry to help
trace, manage and eradicate animal diseases like Mad Cow Disease, Foot and
Mouth Disease, Pseudo-Rabies Disease and Porcine Reproductive and
Respiratory Syndrome in pigs, is being run by the USDA’s Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS). APHIS launched the voluntary NAIS in
2004 with the premises registration system and is now continuing its
advancement by implementing the animal identification component. While
USDA has established visual tags as the minimum standard for some species,
cattle for example, producers may elect to use ear tags with RFID
technology incased in the official identification tags.
“This is a
stamp of approval and an important acknowledgement of the integrity of our
tagging system,” said Digital Angel President and CEO Kevin N. McGrath.
“The USDA underwent a thorough review of our identification tags and came
away convinced that we can produce livestock tags that are up to its
standards, but also ensure the uniqueness of the numbers attributed to
individual animals that assist in tracking the animal’s origin and
movement throughout its life. The flexibility to use the AIN tags in other
programs outside the scope of NAIS, like source and age verification
programs as well as basic management practices, provides the opportunity
for producers to fully utilize the capability of our electronic ear
tags.”
Digital Angel, which has been in the livestock tagging
business since 1945, has developed a proprietary and comprehensive RFID
traceability system that includes electronic tags and scanners as well as
a related IT system that can provide for the identification and tracking
of all animals tagged as part of the NAIS. The target date for having all
livestock identified that are covered in the NAIS guidelines is early
2009.
Digital Angel sells its electronic tags under the brand names
e.Tag™ and Destron Combo e.Tag™.
About Digital Angel
Corporation
Digital Angel Corporation develops and deploys
sensor and communications technologies that enable rapid and accurate
identification, location tracking, and condition monitoring of high-value
assets. Applications for the Company’s products include identification and
monitoring of humans, pets, fish, poultry and livestock through its
patented implantable microchips; location tracking and message monitoring
of vehicles and aircraft in remote locations through systems that
integrate GPS and geosynchronous satellite communications; and monitoring
of asset conditions such as temperature and movement, through advanced
miniature sensors.
Digital Angel Corporation is majority-owned by
Applied Digital Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSX). For more information about Digital
Angel, please visit http://www.digitalangelcorp.com/.
The statements in this press release that are not strictly
historical, are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section
27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and are intended to be covered by the safe harbors
created by these sections. The forward-looking statements are subject to
risks and uncertainties and the actual results that the Company achieves
may differ materially from these forward-looking statements due to such
risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, that Applied
Digital Inc. owns 55.4% of the Company’s common stock, that new accounting
pronouncements regarding expensing of share based compensation may impact
the Company’s future results of operations, the Company may continue to
incur net losses, infringement by third parties on the Company’s
intellectual property or development of substantially equivalent
proprietary technology by the Company’s competitors could negatively
impact the Company’s business, domestic and foreign government regulation
and other factors could impair the Company’s ability to develop and sell
its products in certain markets, the Company relies on sales to government
contractors for its animal identification and search and rescue beacon
products, and any decline in the demand by these customers for such
products could negatively affect the Company’s business, the Company
depends on a single production arrangement for its patented
syringe-injectable microchips, and the loss of or any significant
reduction in the production could have an adverse effect on the Company’s
business, technological change could cause the Company’s products to
become obsolete, the loss of one of the Company’s principal customers
could negatively impact the Company’s net revenue, the Company’s earnings
will decline if the Company writes off goodwill and other intangible
assets, options and warrants outstanding and available for issuance may
adversely affect the market price of the Company’s common stock, currency
exchange rate fluctuations could have an adverse effect on the Company’s
sales and financial results, the Company depends on a small team of senior
management. A detailed statement of risks and uncertainties is contained
in the Company’s reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including in particular the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2005. Investors and stockholders are urged to read this
document carefully. The Company can offer no assurances that any
projections, assumptions or forecasts made or discussed in this release
will be met, and investors should understand the risks of investing solely
due to such projections. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise
any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances
that may arise after the date of this press release.
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