Tracability in meat processing: The genetic markers212

In order to assure a tracability along the meat transformation chain, a powerful tracability system is required. The administrative tracability shows limits that the use of genetic markers could overcome. The individual genome contains sequence differences, basis of the genetic polymorphism of which the genetic markers are the witnesses. Among them, two classes seem to dominate on the tracability field : the microsatellites and the single nucleotide polymorphisms. Microsatellites are characterized by a high level of polymorphism with a lot of alleles for the same locus. Moreover, their detection is directly possible by polymerase chain reaction. Technically, the problem raised when simultaneous detection of several microsatellites is achieved due to the complexity of the obtained pattern. Single nucleotide polymorphisms are single nucleotide mutations in the nucleotidic sequence. They are frequent, stable, randomly scattered and generally biallelic. Their detection is performed either by hybridization on biochips or by mass spectrometry or by other easily automatable technics. This automation is required to test simultaneously a great number of polymorphisms in a large number of samples allowing to decrease the cost. The major advantage of single nucleotide polymorphism is the binary signal obtained and its major drawback is its population specific character of this genetic marker type