Parentage verification is based on the comparison of genetic information from Progeny, Dam and Sire. The principle of parentage verification is valid in all species, which includes animals, birds, fish and humans.

Sample material, such as hairs, buccal swabs, semen and many other materials can be used to perform parentage verification. From each sample, a DNA-profile is generated. The genetic information of each sample is stored in a database and can be read as a ‘barcode’. Each barcode is unique to an individual.

In parentage verification, the genetic information of progeny is compared to the genetic information present in potential parents. For a correct parentage, all genetic information present in Progeny must be present in the combination of Dam and Sire.

Routinely, the test for parentage verification has a power of 99.5% to detect an incorrect parentage. Based on the microsatellites recommanded by ISAG (International Society of Animal Genetic), we propose to realize parentage verification in pig species by using 10 or 15 microsatellites.