SCIENTISTS have developed a DNA test for Aberdeen Angus beef to clamp down on the trade in counterfeit meat which is costing Scots farmers up to £30m a year.

Each year thousands of shoppers are being conned into buying fake Aberdeen Angus beef passed off as the genuine article by unscrupulous retailers.

Now the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society (AACS) and Eurofins, a food testing laboratory, have devised a test that can establish conclusively whether meat comes from genuine stock or other breeds.

The world-renowned meat — famous for its taste and texture — fetches up to £23 a kilogram, compared with £16 for sirloin steak. Sales of the meat in the UK are worth about £150m a year.

According to a recent investigation involving local trading standards officers, about 20% of the beef sold as Aberdeen Angus by butchers in England is not authentic.

The test, which costs about £100 and is based on the unique DNA pattern of Aberdeen Angus cattle, is expected to be used by council trading standards officers and retailers to stamp out fraud.

“This is a fool-proof test that will allow retailers to routinely check product authenticity to ensure consumer rights are protected,” said Ron McHattie, chief executive of the AACS. “As with any other premium product that commands a premium price, Aberdeen Angus has attracted unscrupulous individuals who are compromising the brand.

“This test is a powerful tool in the armoury of trading standards officers who, until now, have had to rely on paper trails and animal passports to verify the origin of meat. Hopefully, it will persuade people to put their house in order before the authorities take action.”

Dr Engelbert Precht, of Eurofins, who was involved in the development of the test, said there was evidence of widespread fraud. “We were supplied by trading standards officers with 43 samples of beef labelled Aberdeen Angus from supermarkets and butchers across England and found that eight of them were not Aberdeen Angus,” he said. “These shops were a mixture of butcher shops and supermarkets. The results of our test are very clear and in blind tests we are sure, beyond 99%, that we can detect non-Aberdeen Angus samples.”

The test, which has taken more than two years to develop, identifies subtle differences between patterns of genetic markers to identify whether meat is pure Aberdeen Angus, from an animal sired by an Aberdeen Angus bull, or another breed. It follows unsuccessful attempts by the AACS to register Aberdeen Angus as a trademark and to gain recognition of the meat’s “special character” through the European commission.

The meat is famous for its “marbling” — the blend of fat and lean meat which gives it its distinctive flavour and texture.

Nick Nairn, the celebrity chef, said he welcomed the attempt to safeguard the reputation of Scottish Aberdeen Angus beef. “I am a huge fan of native beef which spends more time on grass and less time inside — it has the marbling of fat running through it that keeps it succulent and keeps its taste to the last chew. Intensively reared meat tends to lose its flavour quite quickly in the mouth.

“If you asked me which steak I’d rather have — Aberdeen Angus or one from a continental breed — I would always go for the Angus.”

A spokeswoman for Quality Meat Scotland said “This is a good example of the red meat industry embracing new technology to protect its premium in a competitive market place.

“The technology is not only protecting premium brands it also protects consumers’ rights. People are prepared to pay more for Aberdeen Angus, and indeed the Scotch beef brand, because they expect it to be a better quality product.

“When there is a premium at stake some unscrupulous companies may be tempted to try and cash in by falsely labelling their beef. People paying a premium in order to get that product have the right to know that it is what it says on the label.”

Times Recommends

• What makes the perfect mum?
• To keep me stress-free, no more awareness days, please
• What do lottery winners buy?