Abstract
Genetic modification techniques, in particular novel gene editing technologies, hold the yet unfulfilled promise of altering genetic traits in farm animals more efficiently than by crossbreeding, allowing for a more rapid development of new cattle breeds with distinct traits. Gene editing technologies allow for the directed alteration of specific traits and thereby have the potential to enhance, for instance, disease resilience, production yield and the production of desired substances in milk. The potential implications of these technological advancements, which are often combined with animal cloning methods, are discussed both for animal health and for consumer safety, also with consideration of available methods for the detection and identification of the related products in the food supply chain. Finally, an overview is provided of current regulatory approaches in the European Union (EU) and major countries exporting beef to the EU, for products from animals bred through established practices as well as modern biotechnologies.
Highlights
A growing and increasingly affluent world population is increasing the demand for wholesome food products including animal products such as bovine meat and milk
This paper provides an overview of recent developments in genetic modification of cattle from the humpless Bos taurus subsp. taurus and humped B. taurus subsp. indicus (Zebu) subspecies, and the likelihood of food products derived from genetically modified (GM) cattle entering the market in the near future
Other historical developments that have advanced cattle breeding include the introduction of various assisted reproduction technologies, most notably: artificial insemination (AI) with sperm collected from elite donors, embryo transfer (ET) between donor and recipient allowing for an increased number of offspring from a selected cow, and in vitro fertilization (IVF), which involves the culture of oocytes obtained from a selected cow followed by addition of capacitated sperm from a donor
Summary
A growing and increasingly affluent world population is increasing the demand for wholesome food products including animal products such as bovine meat and milk This demand moves cattle breeders toward developing livestock with novel or changed genetic traits in order to increase disease resilience, animal welfare or meat and milk production and quality. Current developments in gene editing have made genetic modification of food-producing organisms, including animals, more efficient and less time consuming. May not always regard minor genetic alterations as GM based on similarities with natural genetic variation This will be highlighted in our description of how the different countries address the issues of transgenesis and gene editing in animals. Jan Pieter VAN DER BERG et al Genetically modified cattle: regulation, safety and traceability and traceability of (un)authorized food products from GM cattle, including gene-edited breeds, are discussed
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