A Japanese industry group has announced it will begin using DNA testing to weed out fake Kobe beef from the real thing, Kyodo News reports. Kobe beef, it notes, is known for its high fat marbling and tenderness and is increasingly popular outside of Japan.
According to Kyodo News, farmers can bring live cattle to a meat center where certified samples of Kobe beef will be given an identification number and stored. Then if there is suspect meat on the market, its DNA can then be compared to that from the stored samples.
"We want to create a system to reassure consumers as they enjoy Kobe beef," an official from the Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association tells Kyodo News.
Kyodo News adds that an industry group in northeastern Japan supporting Yonezawa brand beef has also implemented DNA testing.