SNP genotyping in sheep from northwest and east China for meat traceability
Meat traceability is essential for meat safety and to solve adulteration issues. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are commonly used as a DNA marker and provide a way to trace meat and meat products. The high resolution melting method is a relatively cheap and fast method for detecting specific SNPs. In the present study, we selected 8 SNPs from the NCBI dbSNP database and tested their feasibility in blood or meat samples from 135 sheep reared in northwestern and eastern China. The results indicated that seven SNPs were suitable for meat traceability and the probability of 2 individuals having the same genotype was 1.85 out of 1000.
Technologies in individual animal identification and meat products traceability
Abstract An effective and trustworthy traceability system contributes to improving food quality and safety and responds to consumers’ demand for food provenance information. Safe meat and its products are crucial to consumers and society. Livestock feeding regime and geographical origin are closely related to the properties and the safety of animal origin food, but the information is often invisible to consumers, which makes is easier to use fraudulent practices throughout the whole supply chain. Technologies and their proper use in traceability systems are important for the safety of animal origin foods. An essential component in an integrated traceability chain includes individual animal identification and trace back of related meat products. In this review, we examine the technologies for individual animal identification, including the radio frequency identification system and DNA fingerprinting. For meat products, traceability technologies focus on the chemical components fingerprinting, including measurement of stable isotope ratios, mineral element tracing and organic component fingerprinting. Also, future trends in food traceability systems need to be improved to promote the establishment of more efficient and trustworthy traceability systems to ensure food safety and quality up to standard.
Genetic traceability of meat using microsatellite markers
Traceability systems have become necessary, especially for beef products, to protect consumers' health. Aims of this study were to validate and to test a set of 12 microsatellite (STR) markers for the assessment of a genetic traceability system in six cattle breeds. The probability to find, by chance, two individuals sharing the same profile at the studied loci, was computed considering different number of STR, pooling the alleles in each breed, in the total population and in the dairy and beef population separately. Best results were then obtained considering match probabilities per breed. In this study, genotyping the five most polymorphic loci, the probability of finding two identical animals was approximately five in one million. Match probability values increased when the pooled marker sets were used, but were still satisfactory; moreover, use of the pooled marker sets will reduce the cost of analyses.