Characterization of a SNPs panel for meat traceability in six cattle breeds

Development of DNA technologies makes today possible implementation of conventional beef traceability systems with molecular methods. In the recent past, microsatellites have been the most used marker for individual assignment, however single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is now replacing them. With the aim to provide a set of SNPs useful for bovine meat traceability we have tested 63 SNPs for the ability to identify single individuals in six European cattle breeds. Eighteen highly informative SNPs located in different genes, have been selected. By using this panel of SNPs the probability that one individual is incorrectly assigned ranges from 1.39 to 0.07 out of 1 million, depending on the breed.