Traceability of beef
The desire of consumers for more transparency and to ensure the quality, origin and sustainability of their food sources has grown enormously in recent years. MSD Tiergesundheit and Vion Food Group have partnered on the IdentiGEN DNA TRACEBACK®-Solution expanded. This makes it possible to supply customers with fully traceable beef and thus create trust in the meat supply chain. So far, this option has been available in the Vion Food Group's operations in the Netherlands, Belgium and, more recently, in Germany.
From the origin on the farm to the packaged product in the supermarket
The IdentiGEN DNA TRACEBACK®solution is based on an innovative DNA identification technology. This innovation enables food retailers and processors to trace DNA in meat from rearing on the farm to packaged product in stores. Consumers can be absolutely sure that they get what they buy.
“The IdentiGEN DNA TRACEBACK is the most advanced meat traceability platform on the market today. It uses nature's DNA 'barcode' to provide a unique, traceable link between the product the consumer purchases at retail and its origin from a specific farm," said Alex Berner, Business Development Lead at IdentiGEN, MSD Animal health, about the new possibilities for consumers in Germany.
Ongoing commitment to producing quality meat products
The Vion Food Group has been working with the DNA TRACEBACK since 2020 on behalf of the Dutch food retailer Albert Heijn®Solution to create state-of-the-art supply chain visibility for the Beter Leven (Better Life Label) one-star pork products and organic pork range De Groene Weg in the Netherlands. This experience and success led to the decision to offer traceability for the beef portfolio as well.
Trust through complete traceability
With the IdentiGEN DNA TRACEBACK solution, DNA samples from cattle are included in Vion Food Group's program to trace the origin of each cut of meat as it makes its way through the supply chain. This gives Vion Food Group's customers the certainty that the beef products they buy have been raised according to strict, defined quality standards.
"Customers and consumers want to make informed purchasing decisions and value the trustworthiness of meat products," says Bert Urlings, Director of Quality Assurance and Public Affairs at Vion Food Group product safety and meets the sustainability expectations of our customers."
About MSD Animal Health
MSD is a leading global healthcare company that has been researching and developing new solutions to healthcare problems worldwide for more than 125 years. MSD Animal Health is the veterinary drug and health management division of MSD - in the US and Canada Merck & Co., Inc., located in Rahway, NJ, USA.
As one of the most important research-based pharmaceutical companies in veterinary medicine, MSD Tiergesundheit offers veterinarians, farmers, animal owners and governments one of the largest portfolios of veterinary medicines, vaccines, healthcare solutions and health management services, as well as an extensive range of digitally connected products for identification, traceability and monitoring. In order to continue to use effective means to heal, alleviate or prevent the most urgent diseases of our time, MSD invests heavily in research and development. One focus is on the prevention of diseases and epidemics through the development of effective vaccines. MSD Animal Health is represented in more than 50 countries. The products are available in around 150 markets worldwide. In Germany, the corporate group has its headquarters in Munich. Further information can be found on the website www.msd-tiergesundheit.de.
IdentiGEN is part of MSD Animal Health and is a leading provider of DNA-based traceability solutions. These are used by food manufacturers, processors and retailers to provide comprehensive control and greater transparency, quality and sustainability of food through the special combination of science, technology and insight-driven solutions to ensure food for consumers. More on that below www.identigen.com.
About the Vion Food Group
Vion is an international manufacturer of meat, meat products and plant-based alternatives with production sites in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. Vion has sales offices in 13 countries worldwide. The four business units (Pork, Beef, Food Service and Retail) supply fresh pork and beef, meat products, plant-based alternatives and by-products for the retail, food service and meat processing industries. Vion supplies customers in the home markets of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium as well as in other countries around the world. The head office is in Boxtel in the Netherlands. The website can be found at: Vion Food Group - Food that Matters.
