On Sept. 18, 2008, the USDA announced that the prefix “840” for animal identification numbers will be reserved exclusively for animals born in the United States.

The 840 designation will help producers participating in the NAIS more easily identify their animals as being of U.S. origin. Additionally, the exclusive use of 840 for U.S.-born animals will help shorten the response time in determining the origin of an infected animal in the event of a disease outbreak.