Cattle gene database plan to combat BSE

A GENETIC database of British cattle similar to the DNA library of criminals is being considered by the Government.

The plan is part of its anti-bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) scheme to trace the movement of animals in the national herd, and could result in inspectors being able to identify which herd, or even individual cow, produced a joint of meat on a supermarket shelf.

Discussions between officials at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff) and scientists representing companies who carry out DNA profiling on humans and animals have taken place to prepare the groundwork for the scheme.

The cattle tracing scheme, which began at the end of last month, uses ear tags to identify cattle but there is concern that tags can be switched if farmers or livestock dealers want to avoid the ban on the sale of animals over 30 months old for human consumption.

Scientists at the Laboratory of the Government Chemist and its biotechnology subsidiary, University Diagnostics, a company that has pioneered the use of DNA profiling in criminal cases, met Maff officials last week to discuss how the scheme could be implemented.

"The computer tracing scheme tracks the cow from sale to sale but I don't think there is anyone who believes that ear tags are not corruptible," said Paul Debenham, managing director of University Diagnostics.

"DNA profiling is the ultimate proof of identity. We could even trace meat on supermarket shelves to see whether it's British or which herd it has come from."

Dr Debenham said that Maff officials have expressed a keen interest in the plan. "They were very positive and they'd obviously been thinking about this in their own right for some time."

It would cost an estimated pounds 30m to take genetic fingerprints of the 3 million calves born each year but Dr Debenham said the final sum could be reduced if a partial database was compiled using stored blood samples that could be genetically analysed only when a match is required.

Under the terms of the scheme, farmers must apply for cattle passports within 15 days of an animal being tagged. Failure to do so can result in a government restriction order on the movement of cattle from a farm and a ban on further passport applications.

The cattle passport is designed to keep track of animals from the farm of birth to the slaughterhouse but its accuracy relies on farmers being honest about ear tagging.

n The Agriculture Minister, Nick Brown, signalled yesterday that the Government is ready to give further aid to farmers. He said farmers had made a "persuasive case" for more targeted help to solve the immediate crisis in agriculture. He told BBC1's On the Record programme: "What I have to do is to ensure that any assistance that is given - and resources are pretty limited - is targeted at the immediate crisis and it does not in the long term make matters worse.

"Our agenda toward liberalisation of the market is clearly the way forward."

He said the package could include extending the cattle subsidy offered to BSE-hit farmers should the beef ban not be lifted by Christmas.

"I have set a target for myself to make sure that the issue is drawn to a conclusion before Christmas but it is not my ban," said Mr Brown.

"I have got to persuade other ministers, who have not got the same vested interest as Britain, to lift the ban."

The Government would also consider seeking money from the European agriculture compensation fund.