Short Tandem Repeats (STR) per verificare la tracciabilità delle carni bovine

In order to improve the confidence of consumers and guarantee quality and safety of beef meat along the whole production chain, several techniques have been developped in the last years for traceability. Biomolecular methods, based on genetic fingerprinting, seem to be the most reliable tools; among these, analisys of DNA polymorphism, based on microsatellite molecular markers (Short Tandem Repeats –STR) seems to be the most applicable technique. Data concerning the field application of STR are reported in the discrimination between animals,STR analysis has been performed on 11 mocrosatellites of 415 samples of blood and beef meat , collected before slaughter and at retail respectively. All the samples originated from tao distribution companyes which had already improbe a documental traceability system. Resuld demostrated that STR analyses is a reliable tool for the comparison of blood and meat , and no differences were observed between samples originating from the same animal. However, in five cases, STR analyses evidenced the mismatching of documental traceability, in addiction, STR analyses has been also successfully applied to boiled, roasted and stuffed meat. Therefore, STR analyses can be used to guarantee traceability along the whole beef chain, from live animal to meat, distribution and consumption included.