DNA TraceBack® to support Open Prairie® Natural* Angus Beef
March 14, 2019 — Dakota Dunes, S.D. – Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), is collaborating with IdentiGEN to use DNA technology to trace beef back to the individual animal of origin. IdentiGEN’s signature DNA TraceBack® system will be a key tool to trace the cattle raised for Tyson’s Open Prairie® Natural Angus Beef.
A DNA sample from cattle entering the Open Prairie program will be used to trace the origin of individual cuts of beef as they move through the supply chain. The DNA TraceBack process is intended to assure customers that the Open Prairie beef products they buy were sourced from ranches where the cattle were raised to meet specific requirements.
“This is about meeting growing demand for more transparency about how food is produced,” said Kent Harrison, vice president of marketing and premium programs at Tyson Fresh Meats. “Through DNA TraceBack, we’re providing our retail and foodservice customers with scientific evidence that they’re getting high quality, natural beef from animals raised the way we promised.”
“We’re excited to partner with an industry leader like Tyson Fresh Meats,” Kent Partida, vice president of North American business development for IdentiGEN, said. “Our DNA TraceBack program is the most advanced meat traceability system available and uses nature’s barcode to link meat from the point of sale back to the source. It will enable retail and foodservice customers of Open Prairie beef to confidently share their traceability story with shoppers.”
The Open Prairie brand is continually expanding to meet growing demand for the natural beef line. The product specifications – which are third-party verified – include no artificial ingredients, 100 percent vegetarian diet, traceability to the birth ranch, Angus beef, USDA Prime and Choice and rigorous animal welfare standards.
Cattle for the program are raised by independent ranchers, mostly from Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, and Nebraska. The beef is produced by the Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Lexington, Nebraska.
About Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc., (NYSE: TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp®, and State Fair®. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company had 121,000 team members at September 29, 2018. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit www.tysonfoods.com.
About IdentiGEN
IdentiGEN is the leading global provider of DNA identification solutions to the international agri-food industry. IdentiGEN has laboratory operations in the United States, Ireland, UK, and Europe with the company’s North American headquarters in Lawrence, KS. Visit www.identigen.com.
* Minimally processed. No artificial ingredients.
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Contact: Liz Croston, Tyson Fresh Meats, liz.croston@tyson.com, 605-235-3657
Category: IR, Newsroom