ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION

Animal Species Identification

Ever since the 2013 horsemeat scandal in Europe, the awareness of food adulteration and food fraud has heavily increased. The varying prices and availability of food products from different origin provide opportunities for the incorrect declaration of food components, both from a quality and quantity point of view. For example, horsemeat may be labelled as beef. In addition, the interest in animal speciation in meat products is based on religious requirements (halal and kosher). Religiously motivated inspections, particularly of pork in meat products or processed foods, do not include any technical threshold values. This means that purely qualitative and particularly sensitive tests are required especially for detecting the presence of pork. However, not only meat products are being adulterated. Food fraud is widespread in fish and dairy products, too.

Detection Method for Meat Adulteration and Fish Fraud

ELISA - ELISA-TEK^™ & MELISA-TEK^™

R-Biopharm Indonesia supplies ELISA-TEK™ Meat Species product line. It has been the gold standard in the United States and is utilized by the food processing industry, organizations and government agencies worldwide. The kits employ the principles of the Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA); each 96 well kit contains 12 strips of 8 wells. ELISA-TEK™ and MELISA-TEK™ kits are able to determine species content in an array of products and components with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. The identification of meat species is performed around the world to assure consumers that the meat and poultry they purchase is safe, wholesome, properly labeled and unadulterated. Preventing adulteration of meats with other species is important for economic, regulatory, health, ethical and cultural reasons.

Benefits:

Can determine the species content of thermally processed products
Is effective with canned and retorted products.

Parameters:

Raw and cooked meat of beef, pork, poultry, sheep, horse, deer and multiplex species kits are also available.

PCR Technology - SureFood^® Animal ID

Due to its stability, DNA is an excellent marker for animal identification. SureFood^® Animal ID from R-Biopharm Indonesia based on Real-time PCR technology. It can be used even for processed food and feed samples, with the exception of some highly processed products such as gelatin. The product line with Internal Amplification and Animal Control (IAAC) has higher sensitivity and includes an amplification and extraction control.

Benefits:

Robust target molecule (DNA) in highly processed food samples
Highly specific system with minimum tendency to cross reactions
Sensitivity in “low ppm” range, quantification possible
One sample preparation (90 min) for 15 parameters
Standardized handling and test procedure (1 – 2 hrs)
Qualitative/ quantitative measurement
Multiplex assays are available
Internal amplification and animal control as extraction control

Parameters:

Pork, beef, chicken, turkey, poultry, rat, mouse, rabbit, cat, dog, sheep, goat, horse, donkey, water buffalo and multiplex species kit. Identification of fish species are also available.