WELLINGTON, July 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Scientists of New Zealand announced Monday they have developed a technique that allows them to trace individual meat patties back to the batches they originated from.

    And it's only a matter of time, they said, before they can trace that patty from a shelf in a supermarket anywhere in the world, back to a New Zealand farm gate.

    The breakthrough comes four years after AgResearch, New Zealand's largest Crown Research Institute, introduced the easiTrace DNA system which enables "cuts of meat" to be traced back to the farm source.

    Scientists have now taken the process a step further to allow for traceability in ground meat products, something that has untilnow been thought impossible.

    While more and more countries are introducing traceability and labeling regulations and legislation, currently, these only apply to meat cuts. Full traceability of compound products is exempt, orlimited to labeling in terms of country of origin

    Lead scientist, Grant Shackell, said the challenge has been to match samples where many different DNA profiles are mixed together.

    "It has involved tipping conventional DNA analysis on its head,by considering mixtures of DNA at each point, rather than the DNA profile of one individual," said Shackell.

    The process can match samples containing ingredients from up to40 different animals back to their batch source, and with some change in methodology, Grant Shackell believes that could go higher.

    Scientists only require one item, such as a patty, to match it back to its source that may be as substantial as a 1 ton batch of some 7,000 patties.

    "We're effectively using 15 grams of meat from a ton of meat to match one specific patty back to its manufacturing batch," said Shackell.

    To date, tracking has proven precise with scientists able to correctly identify which batch a particular patty came from not only on the day of production but some days afterwards.

    Mock traces of samples returned from a shipment to Japan have been correctly traced back to their production batch, and samples deliberately mis-labeled to test the system, have been detected.

    Shackell said the breakthrough has potential value for manufacturers and suppliers who will be able to use the technologyto ensure the integrity of their product is maintained, providing a mechanism to confirm problems and where they may have originated.

    "It will mean quality issues can be dealt with accurately. If,for example, there is a complaint of a 'crook' patty, the manufacturer can trace it back to the batch it came from. And fromthere follow the paper trail to identify a problem in the supply chain."

    The process could ensure whole shipments need not be implicatedin food safety scares, or groups of processors when an affected product may be linked with only one processor.

    "The day is not far off when, if you see a meat patty for saleanywhere in the world you will be able to trace it back to the country, herd and animal the meat came from," said Shackell. Enditem