Food adulteration
Modern analytical methods for the detection of food fraud
Food adulteration
Increased awareness since the horsemeat scandal
Since the horsemeat scandal, awareness of food adulteration and food fraud has significantly increased. Consumers and regulatory bodies are now more vigilant about ensuring the authenticity of food products.
Opportunities for food adulteration
The varying prices and availability of food products from different origins create opportunities for incorrect declaration of food components. Adulteration can occur both in terms of quality and quantity, with cheaper or readily available ingredients being mislabeled as more expensive or desirable ones. For example, horsemeat may be mislabeled as beef. Such product adulterations can be detected with high specificity and quantified relatively using advanced testing methods like real-time PCR, which can provide percentage values of the respective animal species in relation to the total quantity of meat.
Religious requirements and animal speciation
Interest in animal speciation in meat products also stems from religious requirements, such as halal and kosher certifications. Religiously motivated inspections, particularly for detecting pork in meat products or processed foods, do not allow for any technical threshold values, requiring purely qualitative and highly sensitive tests. Real-time PCR is often used for this purpose due to its high sensitivity, though its effectiveness depends on the presence of intact DNA, which can be challenging to detect in heavily processed foods like gelatin.
Adulteration beyond meat products
Food fraud is not limited to meat products; it is also widespread in fish and dairy products. Each category presents unique challenges and requires specific detection methods to ensure product authenticity and consumer trust.
For more information, click on the following categories to learn about adulteration in different types of foods.
Key benefits of monitoring food adulteration
- Consumer protection: Ensures that consumers are not misled by false labeling and that they receive the products they expect.
- Regulatory compliance: Helps manufacturers comply with food safety regulations and avoid legal repercussions.
- Quality assurance: Maintains the integrity and reputation of food brands by ensuring product authenticity and quality.
- Economic savings: Reduces the risk of costly recalls and potential financial losses due to adulteration issues.
- Advanced detection methods: Utilizes cutting-edge technologies such as real-time PCR to accurately identify and quantify adulterants in food products.
Conclusion
Monitoring food adulteration is critical for maintaining the trust and safety of consumers, as well as the reputation of food manufacturers. By implementing advanced detection methods like real-time PCR, companies can ensure the authenticity and quality of their products, comply with regulatory standards, and protect themselves from economic losses. Effective food adulteration testing is a cornerstone of modern food safety management, helping to uphold the highest standards of quality and consumer protection.
Product portfolio
| Product | Description | No. of tests/amount | Art. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| EuroProxima Plus Cow´s Milk |
A competitive enzyme immunoassay for the detection of raw and heat-treated cow’s milk in milk from other species. Read more |
Microtiter plate with 96 wells (12 strips with 8 wells each) | 5171MILK |
| ELISA-TEK™ Cooked Meat Species Kit |
Assay for the positive identification of species content (various) in cooked samples: ELISA-TEK™ Cooked Mixed Species Kit: customized (Art. No. 510601) ELISA-TEK™ Cooked Meat 3 Species Kit: beef, pork, poultry (Art. No. 510603) ELISA-TEK™ … Read more |
96 determinations | 5106** |
| ELISA-TEK™ Raw Meat Species Kit |
Assay for the positive identification of species content (various) in raw samples: ELISA-TEK™ Raw Mixed Species Kit: customized (Art. No. 510501) ELISA-TEK™ Raw 3 Species Kit: cow, pig, poultry (Art. No. 510503) ELISA-TEK™ Raw 4 Species Kit: … Read more |
96 determinations | 5105** |
| RIDASCREEN® Risk Material 10/5 |
RIDASCREEN® Risk Material 10/5 is a sandwich enzyme immunoassay for the quantitative analysis of risk material (CNS) in / on raw meat, meat products and on contaminated surfaces. For the determination of risk material (CNS) in processed (heated) … Read more |
Microtiter plate with 96 wells (12 strips with 8 wells each) | R6703 |
| RIDASCREEN® Risk Material |
RIDASCREEN® Risk Material is a sandwich enzyme immunoassay for the quantitative analysis of risk material (CNS) in processed (heated) meat and sausages. For the determination of risk material (CNS) in raw meat, meat products and on contaminated … Read more |
Microtiter plate with 96 wells (12 strips with 8 wells each). | R6701 |
| Product | Description | No. of tests/amount | Art. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| EZ PANGASIUS™ Pangasius Species Rapid Kit |
Assay for the positive identification of species content (Pangasius) in a sample: EZ PANGASIUS™ Pangasius Species Rapid Kit (Art. No. 510EZP) Read more |
10 tests per kit (test strips). | 510EZP |
| RIDA®QUICK CIS |
RIDA®QUICK CIS is an immunochromatographic test for the detection cow’s milk in milk or cheese of other species (sheep and goat). Read more |
25 x reaction strips (one for each determination). | R4303 |
| Product | Description | No. of tests/amount | Art. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| EASI-BIND® LACTOFERRIN |
The product is a heparin affinity column that binds lactoferrin and separates it from other proteins ensuring accurate, reliable results across diverse applications. Read more |
5 columns (i.e. up to 50 tests) (3 ml format) (RBRP700/5) 25 columns (i.e. up to 250 tests) (3 ml format) (RBRP700/25) |
RBRP700/5 / RBRP700/25 |
| Product | Description | No. of tests/amount | Art. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| TANBead Maelstrom™ 4800 |
The TANBead Maelstrom™ 4800 (Taiwan Advanced Nanotech) is a fully automated operating instrument for nucleic acid purification and isolation using magnetic beads and rods. The instrument uses the TANBead patented Maelstrom Spin Mixing Technology to … Read more |
Up to 48 samples | ZMAL48 |
| SureFast® Mag PREP Food |
The kit is intended to be used for isolation of animal and plant DNA from food and feed as well as bacterial DNA from bacterial culture enrichments with the TANBead® Maelstrom 4800. Standardization and harmonization of methods Reduction of errors … Read more |
96 preparations | F1060 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL QUANT Turkey |
The SureFood® ANIMAL QUANT Turkey real-time PCR detects the relative turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) DNA amount to the total animal (amnions) DNA content in meat samples. Therefore the kit contains two PCR systems, one for detection of a turkey … Read more |
2 x 50 reactions | S1015 |
| SureFood® Apricot |
The real-time PCR test detects DNA of apricot (Prunus armenica). Each reaction contains an internal amplification control (IAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S7007 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL ID 4plex Camel/Horse/Donkey + IAAC |
The multiplex real-time PCR test detects camel DNA of Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) and of Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus), horse DNA (Equus caballus) and donkey DNA (Equus asinus). Each reaction contains an internal amplification control … Read more |
100 reactions | S6131 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL ID 3plex Water Buffalo/Beef+IAAC |
The test detects water buffalo (Bubalis arnee) and beef (Bos taurus) DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for vertebrates DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6130 |
| SureFood ® ANIMAL ID 4plex Beef/Horse/Pork+IAAC |
The multiplex real-time PCR test detects beef (Bos taurus), horse (Equus caballus) and pork (Sus scrofa) DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for vertebrates DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6126 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL ID Horse IAAC |
The test detects horse DNA (Equua caballus). Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for vertebrates DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6118 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL ID 4plex Beef/Sheep/Goat+IAAC |
The test detects beef (Bos taurus), sheep (Ovis aries) and goat (Capra hircus) DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for vertebrates DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6121 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL ID Chicken IAAC |
The test detects chicken (Gallus gallus) DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for animal DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6115 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL ID Beef IAAC |
The test detects beef DNA (Bos taurus). Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for vertebrates DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6113 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL ID Pork IAAC |
The test detects pork DNA (Sus scrofa). Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for vertebrates DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6114 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL ID Pork SENS PLUS |
The test detects pork DNA (Sus scrofa). Each reaction contains an internal amplification control. Read more |
100 reactions | S6017 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL ID Horse/Donkey+IAAC |
The test detects horse DNA (Equus caballus) and donkey DNA (Equus asinus) seperately. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for animal DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6119 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL ID Turkey IAAC |
The test detects turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for animal DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6116 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL ID 4plex Pork/Chicken/Turkey+IAAC |
The multiplex real-time PCR test detects pork (Sus scrofa), chicken (Gallus gallus) and turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for vertebrates DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6123 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL QUANT Chicken |
The SureFood® ANIMAL QUANT Chicken real-time PCR detects the relative chicken (Gallus gallus) DNA amount to the total animal (amnions) DNA content in meat samples. Therefore the kit contains two PCR systems, one for detection of a chicken specific … Read more |
2 x 50 reactions. Thereof 50 reactions are used for the detection of the reference gene. | S1014 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL QUANT Pork |
The test detects the relative pork DNA amount (Sus scrofa) to the total animal DNA content (amnions) in meat samples. Therefore the kit contains two PCR systems, one for detection of a pork specific gene (Sus detection gene) and one for the detection … Read more |
2 x 50 reactions | S1011 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL QUANT Beef |
The test detects the relative beef DNA amount (Bos taurus) to the total animal DNA content (amnions) in meat samples. Therefore the kit contains two PCR systems, one for detection of a beef specific gene (Beef detection gene) and one for the … Read more |
2 x 50 reactions | S1010 |
| SureFood® ANIMAL ID Cat/Dog+IAAC |
The test detects cat (Felis catus) DNA and dog (Canis lupus familiaris) DNA seperately. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for animal DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6112 |
