BioPet Vet Lab,an animal biotechnology company specializing in DNA applications,has launched IntegriMEAT,a DNA-based program designed to track and identify livestock.
The company has entered into a partnership with Southern Natural Foods,a meat processor based in Knoxville,US,to initially track beef from farm to table.This capability will help consumers determine the source and the quality of the meat.
Under the program,beef producers will be required to undertake a point of origin registration and a DNA sample will be taken from existing stock and new birth stock.
Following this,BioPet will maintain a database of cattle at each registered farm.A quick response(QR)code,created at the time of rendering,will be maintained through distribution by Southern Natural Foods.
Final packaging will include the QR code on the label,and consumers could scan the code on the meat product using their smartphones and track it to the farm where it came from.
In addition to offering public DNA-source verified beef,the program also offers the producer valuable herd information,the company said.BioPet Vet plans to soon increase the functionality of the online database to provide producers a secure,user-friendly system to manage their herds.
