Certification of animal-derived product(s) based on dna-methylation

A method of certifying a test animal-derived product sample, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) determining the test methylation profile of one or more pre-selected methylation sites within the genomic material obtained from the test animal derived product sample;
• and
• (b) comparing the test methylation profile determined in (a) with a panel of predetermined reference methylation profiles of the same biological taxon of the test animal from which the product sample derives, wherein each of the predetermined reference methylation profiles is specific for a distinctly certified reference animal that
• has been slaughtered by a single cut across the throat severing both carotid arteries, both jugular veins, both vagus nerves, trachea and/or oesophagus;
• and/or
• bled to death;
• wherein if the test methylation profile is significantly similar to one of the predetermined reference methylation profiles, the test animal derived product sample has the same distinct certification as that of the predetermined reference methylation profile and is derived from a test animal that has been slaughtered by a single cut across the throat severing both carotid arteries, both jugular veins, both vagus nerves, trachea and/or oesophagus and/or bled to death and the test animal-derived product is certified so;
• and
• wherein the pre-selected methylation sites are CpG sites selected from genes or regions of genomic DNA from the control and test animal that shows the highest degree of methylation variation during the training of the method.

A method of verifying certification of a test animal-derived product sample that has been certified to derive from a test animal that was slaughtered by a single cut across the throat severing both carotid arteries, both jugular veins, both vagus nerves, trachea and/or oesophagus and/or that was bled to death, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) determining a test methylation profile of one or more pre-selected methylation sites within the genomic material obtained from the test animal derived product sample;
• and
• (b) comparing the test methylation profile obtained from (a) with a reference methylation profile obtained from a control animal of the same biological taxon of the test animal from which the product sample is derived from, where the control animal is not slaughtered by a single cut across the throat severing both carotid arteries, both jugular veins, both vagus nerves, trachea and/or oesophagus and/or the control animal is not bled to death
• wherein a difference in the test methylation profile of (a) compared to the reference methylation profile from the control animal, is indicative of the test animal having been slaughtered by a single cut across the throat severing both carotid arteries, both jugular veins, both vagus nerves, trachea and/or oesophagus and/or of the test animal having been bled to death and the test animal-derived product being correctly certified, and wherein a similarity in the test methylation profile of (a) compared to the reference methylation profile of the control animal, is indicative of the test animal not having been slaughtered by a single cut across the throat severing both carotid arteries, both jugular veins, both vagus nerves, trachea and/or oesophagus and/or of the test animal having been bled to death and the test animal-derived product being wrongly certified;
• and wherein the pre-selected methylation sites are CpG sites selected from genes or regions of genomic DNA from the control and test animal that shows the highest degree of methylation variation during the training of the method.