A New System for Meat Traceability Developed in the United Kingdom

The National Sheep Association (NSA) of the United Kingdom is launching a pioneering meat traceability project aimed at identifying sheep meat by breed, age, and grazing location. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Bia Analytical, which will analyze meat samples using a mass spectrometer to identify the phospholipid pattern, which can act as a fingerprint. Each piece of meat will have a unique profile according to species, breed, diet, age, geographical location, and flavor profile. "There are many variants, but sheep meat is rarely advertised as anything more than 'lamb'," said NSA Project Director Nicola Noble. "We should encourage diversity within the UK sheep sector and allow the public to appreciate the different flavors and textures that emerge from it," she adds. Until now, this level of detail has not been available, says the NSA, due to the lack of affordable and commercially viable technology to track meat heritage. The first phase of the project is ...