Traceability system devised for Aberdeen Angus beef

The test was devised by the international DNA verification systems company IdentiGEN and was commissioned by the Scotland-based Aberdeen Angus Cattle Society (AACS). The biological verification system was developed as part of a major drive to establish Certified Aberdeen Angus beef (CAAB) for consumers and retailers, said AACS.

AACS chief executive Ron McHattie explained that rising demand for AAB across the globe has led the society to take the “bold initiative”​ to strengthen brand integrity and to differentiate its certified beef programme from others.

McHattie said: “The idea is that the whole audit trail at the moment for any fresh product going to the market is paper-based. The sires and the cattle that come into the system are on paper only, which is open to faults, but I’m not saying faults are knowingly made.

“We realised we needed to raise the bar for the checks through our certified programme and started talking to, and working with, IdentiGEN to produce a DNA-based system on the animal at point of slaughter, which means the carcase can be tracked back to the farm of origin and the cut can be tracked back to the animal, making it a much more robust system.”​

The collaboration will see IdentiGEN’s DNA TraceBack technology used to generate a reference DNA databank of animals eligible to enter the CAAB programme. The databank will store the DNA of CAAB beef to confirm its Aberdeen Angus origins, which it said will raise eating quality as well as provide consumer reassurance.

McHattie added: “This new technology created by IdentiGEN provides us with the tool to ramp up our due diligence. DNA TraceBack allows us to move our processes to different level, further protecting the integrity of Aberdeen Angus beef and, at the same time, giving us a competitive edge in the marketplace.”​

According to IdentiGEN co-founder Dr Ronan Loftus the new technology will provide “100% traceability for all beef carrying the CAAB label”.​