Two tests were performed on multiple brands of steaks purchased from retail outlets across central Texas. To get a better handle on the scope of the problem, ViaGen, the US-based animal genomics firm that carried out the experiment, followed up with an analysis of meat from four geographic regions sold under a single brand name.
The results were the same in both cases, indicating this is an industry-wide issue and is not brand or region specific.
Labels containing the word 'Angus' are generally an indicator of top quality meat. Branded beef originated when the American Angus Association created the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) designation in 1978 to boost standards and help consumers reliably identify good beef.
Other independent Angus labels followed. Currently, the determination of the amount of Angus is made by a visual inspection of the whole animal. DNA analysis now shows that manual inspection is not always accurate.
The experiment was carried out using AnguSure and Inducator, two new testing kits developed by ViaGen. The tests separately assess the two most common criteria employed in branded beef programmes certified by the USDA: a minimum of 50 per cent Angus (AnguSure) and minimal Brahman influence (Inducator).
"The industry is doing the best they can with the technology available. But these new tests enable producers, consumers and retailers to benefit from increased brand integrity," said Sara Davis ViaGen president.
About three quarters of the samples that failed one or both tests had higher than desired Brahman influence. While a particularly well-suited breed for hot, southern climates, too much Brahman is associated with increased toughness and poor eating quality. Beef that passes both the AnguSure and Inducator tests should therefore ensure consumer satisfaction.
Testing can also be performed on live animals, which ViaGen argues benefits everyone involved in the production and sale of beef.
Offspring of a bull certified as 100 per cent Angus automatically meet the first criterion for Angus branding. Precertification of live cattle allows ranchers to obtain premium prices for their livestock and helps packers ship beef to wholesalers with absolute confidence in quality.
The tests require only a small blood, hair or meat sample to be shipped to the company's lab. Test results can be delivered in as little as two days. ViaGen expects all parts of the industry, from producers to end users, will take advantage of the offerings. The company claims that the tests will be affordably priced to help many industry segments ensure product quality.
The UK's Food Standards Agency has also been working on DNA-based food quality indicators, with the aim of helping food manufacturers to ensure that the meat-free food eaten by vegetarians and people from certain ethnic groups is not contaminated by meat.
The DNA-based technique called qualitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) can identify the presence of meat in supposedly vegetarian produce, even at levels as low as 0.05 per cent, although the exact level depends on the actual food.
Studies aimed at quantifying the adulteration of vegetarian foods by meat have shown reasonable success if the food analysed does not contain dairy produce.
Food contaminated with animal by-products is unacceptable to vegetarians as well as many ethnic groups. It is also recognised that unacceptable adulterating species varies with ethnic group. To date, no satisfactory methods have been developed to detect the adulteration of vegetable products with products of animal origin.