DNA tracing

- Published: 28 May, 2010

Bizerba took the opportunity to showcase its new DNA tracing system at IFFA. The company hopes its lower-cost DNA testing option will offer new traceability options for processors, said Mark Haworth from Bizerba.

"In the past, DNA testing has been primarily used for quality reasons somebody checking the animal they've killed is actually an Aberdeen Angus, for example," he said. "The potential we're looking at is traceability."

Haworth said samples taken from each animal were tied into the cattle passport and ear tag and sent off to the lab for analysis. That sample was then tied to the animal. He said the company was working with DNA specialist Identigen to develop the system, using Bizerba's Niche software.