The research aims to establish a traceability system to ensure the meat is from Krškopolje pig and to implement methods for verification of animal, meat and meat product traceability. In order to ensure traceability, the identification of animals, meat or products of animal origin must be preserved throughout various steps of the food chain. We reviewed the Slovenian legislation in force and the zootechnical documentation required by the breeding programme for the local Krškopolje pig breed. Critical points were integrated into the information flow where errors in the pig traceability system could occur. Genomic information from 34,396 SNPs on 2,106 samples of pig ear tissue of different genotypes, meat and meat products were used to verify the origin of meat declared as Krškopolje pig meat and originated from ten producers. Alpha Assign software was used to search for potential parents. The breeding pigs found to be related to meat samples must have the corresponding reproduction data. The parentage of pigs was confirmed in 80% of all the pigs with genomic information of both parents. In the other animals with complete pedigree, at least one or both parents were rejected. The Krškopolje pig breed was confirmed in half of the meat and meat product samples declared as Krškopolje pig meat. In most of the confirmed products, we found at least one parent with a known service date and had also genomically confirmed parentage. In cases without close relatives in the Krškopolje pig population, we concluded that the ancestors did not belong to the Krškopolje pig breed. According to the higher genomic relationship coefficient with other pigs, other modern breeds and hybrids were introduced in one of the ancestor generations.
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