Where Did this Steak Come From?

A Richmond food distributor called Performance Food Group is offering DNA-traceable beef, reports the Associated Press. The test, the AP adds, could identify the various animals used to make ground beef. Tracking meat using DNA has been used in Europe for a while, the AP says, adding that in Britain it has been used because of worries of mad cow disease — as DNA tracing could aid in food safety recalls. In the US, though, tracking meat is serving more as a food label, letting consumers know whether the animal was grass fed or well treated. "How do we know our meat tastes better if we don't know where it comes from?" says Ronan Loftus, a co-founder of the DNA tracing company IdentiGEN that works with the Performance Food Group. "By being able to have greater information and greater transparency within the chain that enables our customers to communicate more effectively on those issues."

HT: The Decision Tree