Identification of animal species
Reliable tests for the detection of animal DNA in food
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Analytes
Identification of animal species
Importance of detecting animal species in meat products
Detecting animal species in meat products is crucial for meeting religious requirements (halal and kosher) and preventing product adulteration, such as the substitution of horse meat for beef.
Reliable detection methods
Our test systems reliably and specifically detect DNA from the following animal species in food products:
- Cattle
- Pig
- Horse
- Donkey
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Rabbit
- Sheep
- Goat
- Water buffalo
- Cat
- Dog
Detection of product adulteration
Due to the different prices and availabilities of meat products from different animal species, there is the possibility that meat constituents are declared incorrectly in terms of quality and quantity. In doing so, high quality meat is substituted with cheaper meat. Close attention was paid to the horse meat scandal in Germany, for example, where horse meat was detected in beef lasagna. Horse DNA was also detected in beef burgers in Great Britain. The admixture of incorrect ingredients in food, which is either due to unscrupulous merchants or negligent processing, must be constantly monitored by the food authorities. During the processing of meat products in the slaughterhouse, it is not always 100% possible to determine from which animal the respective meat products originate. This applies to mince meat and further processed meat-based products as well as feed products that contain meat. This results in a risk of a certain alteration of the products. Such product alterations can be specifically detected using real-time PCR and can be relatively quantified (with percentages of the respective animal species with regard to the overall quantity of meat).
Animal identification due to religious demands (halal and kosher)
It is particularly important for Muslim and Jewish consumers to know whether food that has been permitted for consumption and that was prepared in line with Muslim or Jewish beliefs (‘halal’ or ‘kosher’ food), contains even the smallest amount of contamination. In order to meet the expectations of these people, which make up 23 % of the world population, there are PCR tests that can specifically detect whether the meat is actually beef, poultry, pig or lamb, for example. Religiously-motivated investigations, particularly for pork in meat products or processed foods, do not contain any technical threshold values (zero tolerance). This means that purely qualitative and particularly sensitive tests are required for the detection of pork. The effective sensitivity of the real-time PCR used for this purpose is based on the presence of intact DNA, which means that detection in highly-processed food such as gelatin, is made difficult.
SureFood® ANIMAL test kits
You can find a comprehensive overview of our SureFood® PCR kits for animal identification in our free brochure.
ELISA-TEK™ and MELISA-TEK™ test kits
You can find a comprehensive overview of our ELISA-TEK™ and MELISA-TEK™ kits for meat species identification in our free brochure.
Key benefits of animal species identification
- Consumer trust: Ensures that consumers can trust the labeling of meat products, which is crucial for religious, ethical, and dietary reasons.
- Regulatory compliance: Helps manufacturers meet labeling requirements and regulations, such as those mandated for halal and kosher products.
- Prevention of adulteration: Detects and prevents the substitution of higher-value meat with cheaper alternatives, protecting both consumers and legitimate producers.
- Quality assurance: Maintains the quality and authenticity of meat products by accurately identifying the animal species present.
- Advanced detection methods: Utilizes reliable techniques such as immunochemical and molecular biological methods to ensure precise identification of animal species in meat products.
Conclusion
Accurate identification of animal species in meat products is essential for maintaining consumer trust, ensuring regulatory compliance, and preventing food adulteration. By employing advanced detection methods, manufacturers can verify the authenticity of their products and uphold the highest standards of quality. This not only protects consumers but also supports the integrity of the meat industry, ensuring that products meet ethical, religious, and safety standards.
Product portfolio
| Product | Description | No. of tests/amount | Art. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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** |
| Product | Description | No. of tests/amount | Art. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Poultry IAAC |
The test detects poultry DNA. Each reaction contains an internal amplification control and an internal detection assay for vertebrates DNA (IAAC). Read more |
100 reactions | S6125 |
| 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 |
