Effect of consanguinity on Argentinean Angus beef DNA traceability

Area of Science:

• Animal Genetics
• Food Science
• Forensic Science

Background:

• DNA-based meat traceability is crucial for food chain integrity.
• Assessing DNA marker information content and minimum marker requirements are key for protocol implementation.
• Inbreeding levels can affect the accuracy of DNA-based traceability systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the effect of inbreeding on DNA matching efficiency.
• To establish the minimum number of microsatellite markers required for DNA-based meat traceability.
• To evaluate an 11-microsatellite marker panel for beef origin certification in South America.

Main Methods:

• Sampling beef cattle from South American farms with varying consanguinity rates.
• Utilizing an 11-microsatellite marker panel to assess genetic profiles.
• Calculating exclusion power (Q) and match probability to evaluate marker set efficiency.

Main Results:

• Exclusion power exceeded 0.999998, with match probability below 3.01E-08 for the marker set.
• Consanguinity significantly affected matching efficiency and the number of markers needed.
• Six markers were sufficient for unrelated animals, while seven were needed for related animals to achieve 99.99% exclusion power (Q(2)).
• Eight and ten markers were required for Q(2)=99.9999 in unrelated and related animals, respectively.

Conclusions:

• The 11-microsatellite marker panel is effective for DNA-based meat traceability in Argentina.
• Consanguinity necessitates a slight increase in the number of microsatellite markers for accurate identification.
• The study provides essential data for implementing robust DNA traceability protocols in livestock.