Genomics will be raising the bar on pork quality
By Jim Carlton
| Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series. The first article was published in the February 
2005 issue.
The entire pork chain has made the point meat quality is the new standard that all producers and packers need to meet. Packers are demanding the highest levels of meat quality and are aligning with producers who are taking the necessary steps to ensure a consistent supply of high-quality pork products.
Genomics is quickly becoming a preferred tool to help producers and packers meet these high quality demands in their terminal boar lines, according to a panel of leading experts who participated in an industry roundtable titled, Creating Value from Genomics in the Pork Industry, sponsored by Monsanto Choice Genetics. The roundtable discussion was held in conjunction with the 2004 American Association of Animal Science meeting in St. Louis.
“Genetic improvement of livestock primarily focuses on selection for quantitative traits in out-bred populations,” says Jack Dekkers, PhD, professor of animal breeding and genetics in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. “To date, most genetic improvement has been achieved through selection on breeding values estimated from phenotype of the individual and/or its relatives.”
Dekkers was one of seven roundtable participants. Other panel members included Max Rothschild, PhD, Iowa State University; Bill Muir, PhD, Purdue University; Sue DeNise, PhD, MMI Genomics; Floyd Mc-Keith, PhD, University of Illinois; Rodger Johnson, PhD., University of Nebraska and Albert Paszek, PhD, Cargill Corp.
Meat quality
“I’ve always thought that genomics probably has one of its greatest values for enhancing pork in the area of meat quality, because you can’t measure these types of traits on the live animal,” notes Paszek.
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Genetic improvement of livestock primarily focuses on selection for quantitative traits in out-bred populations, according to Jack Dekkers, PhD, professor of animal breeding and genetics in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. |
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Sue DeNise, PhD, vice president of genomics research for MetaMorphix, Inc., believes that breeders and producers will utilize genomics technology as a unique breeding tool so they can increase the accuracy of selection and be able to target traits that are difficult to measure with traditional selection. |
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Albert Paszek, PhD, Cargill Corporation, believes that genomics technology can be a great value for enhancing pork in the area of meat quality. |
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University of Illinois genetics expert Floyd McKeith, PhD, wonders if genomics can be utilized to help the pork chain capture additional value for the entire animal. |
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Max Rothschild, PhD, Iowa State University, believes that genomics discoveries will eventually yield better products throughout the entire pork chain. |
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Bill Muir, PhD, Purdue University, describes genomics as very exciting technology that will complement other technologies to help unlock the genetic potential of pigs. |
“As we get down to the gene level to understand the sequence that influences quantitative traits, we are going to require a map that is much denser than currently available and those markers are single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs (pronounced “snips”),” says DeNise, vice president of genomics
research for MetaMorphix, Inc.
This new SNP technology is allowing geneticists to put the whole piece of the puzzle together and figure out exactly what combination of markers provides the optimum phenotype. With this whole-genome approach, geneticists find the genes and the traits that interact with each other and immediately discover SNPs that can be used in commercial populations. The whole-genome approach allows geneticists to discover all of the specific trait information at once.
The question raised by many researchers and producers is, “How can we use the new technology of using genome-wide assisted selection and SNPs to make economic advancements throughout the pork chain?”
Creating value
DeNise believes there are several value creation opportunities with this new whole-genome approach to selection in the swine industry.
“We think that breeders and pro-ducers will utilize this technology as a unique breeding tool where they can increase the accuracy of selection and be able to target traits that are difficult to measure with traditional selection,” she explains. “For producers and feeders, perhaps they will be able to sell individual animals into a marketing program that’s really designed for their genetics, such as the Japanese market.
“Producers might also be able to sort and manage individual animals to optimize their genetic potential,” she adds. “Finally, for the packers and processors, they might be able to make purchasing decisions or guarantee palatability characteristics or meat quality characteristics. They might be able to forward market products, and they might be able to create new branded products. So we think that there are a number of different opportunities, and it remains to be seen exactly how the industry and the research will combine to create these new products.”
Branded products
“There is no doubt genomics will play a huge role in the future of meat production and especially branded products,” says Floyd McKeith, with the University of Illinois. “Economics will dictate the speed in which they are adopted and utilized.
“Will the food service market be big enough for a large genetics company to design pigs to fit into that? In addition, probably one of the most complex parts of this is being able to market the entire animal profitably. Can we utilize genomics to help the pork chain capture additional value for the entire
animal? I think many of the companies and integrators will work with breeding companies to use genomics to develop a dedicated line for their company.
“I think that this whole concept of genomics will lead the way for branded products,” adds McKeith. If we go to a number of stores today, we see Tyson’s brand, Cargill’s brand, Smithfield’s brand, and others, directly on the products. Moreover, I think that it will drive the packer-processor to be much more concerned about quality and consistency than they have ever been before,” says McKeith.
“Today, when those stores are purchasing their case-ready product with their name on it, if it doesn’t look good or doesn’t meet consumer expectations, they’re no longer going to go back and purchase that brand, which will, in turn, impact the profitability of that packer or processor. I think there is clearly an opportunity to capture more value than we currently are. Genomics will allow us to reach that potential and opportunity much faster than we’re currently doing.”
Better products
According to Max Rothschild, at Iowa State University, “This new technology will allow greater speed at which genetic improvement can be implemented. It offers an opportunity to leapfrog over past, existing selection programs. Accuracy is increased. The expected outcomes are faster delivery through marker- or gene-assisted selection, definitely better genetic lines and better branded products or better-
directed products.
“The expected outcome of this technology is increased discovery. It will certainly yield better products throughout the entire pork chain,” Rothschild adds.
Bill Muir, Purdue University, sums up the new technology, “I call genome-wide marker-assisted selection a holistic approach, because this method will work for any trait, regardless of heritability or type of trait and the same genome scan for all traits.
“Thus, the same selection indexes used in breeding programs can still be used; the only difference is the equations are augmented with genomic information. In addition, it will be possible to make meaningful advances for traits, which are difficult or impossible to measure on live animals, such as disease resistance or meat quality.
“It’s very exciting technology that will complement our other technologies to unlock the genetic potential of pigs,” he concludes.
