Halal authenticity issues in meat and meat products

DNA Metabarcoding Approach as a Potential Tool for Supporting Official Food Control Programs: A Case Study

Food authentication significantly impacts consumer health and the credibility of Food Business Operators (FBOs). As European regulations mandate the verification of food authenticity and supply chain integrity, competent authorities require access to innovative analytical methods to identify and prevent food fraud. This study utilizes the DNA metabarcoding approach on meat preparations, sampled during an official control activity. It assesses animal and plant composition by amplifying DNA fragments of the 12S rRNA and trnL (UAA) genes, respectively. The results not only confirmed the declared species but also revealed undeclared and unexpected taxa in products labelled as containing a single animal species and various unspecified plant species. Notable findings such as the presence of Murinae, Sus scrofa, Ovis aries, and Pisum sativum could raise public health concerns, compromise consumer choices made for ethical or religious reasons, and reflect the hygienic conditions of the processing plant. This study demonstrates that the DNA metabarcoding approach looks to be a promising support tool for official control authorities to ensure food authenticity and safety, and to develop risk profiles along the supply chain.

Safeguarding Public Health: Advanced Detection of Food Adulteration Using Nanoparticle-Based Sensors

Food adulteration, whether intentional or accidental, poses a significant public health risk. Traditional detection methods often lack the precision required to detect subtle adulterants that can be harmful. Although chromatographic and spectrometric techniques are effective, their high cost and complexity have limited their widespread use. To explore and validate the application of nanoparticle-based sensors for enhancing the detection of food adulteration, focusing on their specificity, sensitivity, and practical utility in the development of resilient food safety systems. This study integrates forensic principles with advanced nanomaterials to create a robust detection framework. Techniques include the development of nanoparticle-based assays designed to improve the detection specificity and sensitivity. In addition, sensor-based technologies, including electronic noses and tongues, have been assessed for their capacity to mimic and enhance human sensory detection, offering objective and reliable results. The use of nanomaterials, including functionalized nanoparticles, has significantly improved the detection of trace amounts of adulterants. Nanoparticle-based sensors demonstrate superior performance in terms of speed, sensitivity, and selectivity compared with traditional methods. Moreover, the integration of these sensors into food safety protocols shows promise for real-time and onsite detection of adulteration. Nanoparticle-based sensors represent a cutting-edge approach for detecting food adulteration, and offer enhanced sensitivity, specificity, and scalability. By integrating forensic principles and nanotechnology, this framework advances the development of more resilient food-safety systems. Future research should focus on optimizing these technologies for widespread application and adapting them to address emerging adulteration threats.

Food authenticity and the interactions with human health and climate change

Food authenticity and fraud, as well as the interest in food traceability have become a topic of increasing interest not only for consumers but also for the research community and the food manufacturing industry. Food authenticity and fraud are becoming prevalent in both the food supply and value chains since ancient times where different issues (e.g., food spoilage during shipment and storage, mixing decay foods with fresh products) has resulted in foods that influence consumers health. The effect of climate change on the quality of food ingredients and products could also have the potential to influence food authenticity. However, this issue has not been considered. This article focused on the interactions between consumer health and the potential effects of climate change on food authenticity and fraud. The role of technology and development of risk management tools to mitigate these issues are also discussed. Where applicable papers that underline the links between the interactions of climate change, human health and food fraud were referenced.

Volatile Compounds for Discrimination between Beef, Pork, and Their Admixture Using Solid-Phase-Microextraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) and Chemometrics Analysis

This study addresses the prevalent issue of meat species authentication and adulteration through a chemometrics-based approach, crucial for upholding public health and ensuring a fair marketplace. Volatile compounds were extracted and analyzed using headspace-solid-phase-microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Adulterated meat samples were effectively identified through principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Through variable importance in projection scores and a Random Forest test, 11 key compounds, including nonanal, octanal, hexadecanal, benzaldehyde, 1-octanol, hexanoic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, and 2-acetylpyrrole for beef, and hexanal and 1-octen-3-ol for pork, were robustly identified as biomarkers. These compounds exhibited a discernible trend in adulterated samples based on adulteration ratios, evident in a heatmap. Notably, lipid degradation compounds strongly influenced meat discrimination. PCA and PLS-DA yielded significant sample separation, with the first two components capturing 80% and 72.1% of total variance, respectively. This technique could be a reliable method for detecting meat adulteration in cooked meat.

Importance of Knife Sharpness during Slaughter: Shariah and Kosher Perspective and Scientific Validation

Halal and kosher slaughter have given the utmost importance to the sharpness of knives during the slaughter of animals. A sharp knife of appropriate dimension (blade length) makes slaughter less painful during neck severance and facilitates desirable bleeding. The role of knife sharpness has not been given due credit from an animal welfare perspective and is likely ignored by the people involved in slaughterhouses. A neat, clean, and efficient neck cut by an extremely sharp knife reduces the pain. It improves the bleeding out, thus making animals unconscious early without undergoing unnecessary pain and stress. It also helps in improving meat quality and food safety. A slight incremental improvement in knife sharpness could significantly improve the animal welfare, productivity, efficiency, and safety of meat plant workers. The present review critically analyzed the significance of knife sharpness in religious slaughter by reducing stress and pain and improving meat quality and food safety. The objective quantification of knife sharpness, proper regular training of slaughterers, and slow slaughter rate are the challenges faced by the meat industry.

Development of novel isothermal-based DNA amplification assay for detection of pig tissues in adulterated meat

For the first time, we describe an innovative polymerase spiral reaction (PSR) assay for the rapid, simple, and accurate detection of pig tissues or pork in adulterated meat including heat-treated and processed ones. The PSR assay specifically targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt-b) gene of the pig was successfully optimized permitting assay results in 65 min time. The developed detection method was 100% specific amplifying only the cyt-b gene and displaying negative results with all the tested non-pork meats. The sensitivity of the developed PSR (760 fg porcine DNA) was tenfold better than the end-point PCR and able to detect heat-treated (121 °C) and adulterated (0.5% pork in beef) meat and processed pork products such as sausages, salami, meatball, soup, curry, etc. The developed PSR-based method can be used for point-of-care detection with minimum instrumentation and technical expertise to guarantee instant clearance of exported and imported meat products. This is the first time that PSR has been adapted for food authenticity purposes.

Mechanisms and Health Aspects of Food Adulteration: A Comprehensive Review

Food adulteration refers to the alteration of food quality that takes place deliberately. It includes the addition of ingredients to modify different properties of food products for economic advantage. Color, appearance, taste, weight, volume, and shelf life are such food properties. Substitution of food or its nutritional content is also accomplished to spark the apparent quality. Substitution with species, protein content, fat content, or plant ingredients are major forms of food substitution. Origin misrepresentation of food is often practiced to increase the market demand of food. Organic and synthetic compounds are added to ensure a rapid effect on the human body. Adulterated food products are responsible for mild to severe health impacts as well as financial damage. Diarrhea, nausea, allergic reaction, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc., are frequently observed illnesses upon consumption of adulterated food. Some adulterants have shown carcinogenic, clastogenic, and genotoxic properties. This review article discusses different forms of food adulteration. The health impacts also have been documented in brief.

Detection of porcine DNA in Korean processed foods by real-time PCR

In this study, a commercial DNA extraction kit and a real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) kit were applied to detect porcine DNA in Korean processed foods. The specificity, sensitivity, applicability and inter-laboratory reproducibility were evaluated for analytical method validation. We observed no false-positive or false-negative results in the assay, confirming its specificity. The sensitivity of the real-time PCR was expressed as the limit of detection (LOD), which was determined to be 0.005 ng in 35 cycles. In the applicability test, PCR was performed on 12 types of food matrices, and there were no inhibitor effects. An interlaboratory comparison showed no statistically significant (p > 0.05) differences between the results from two laboratories. We analysed 131 samples to determine the presence of porcine DNA for halal certification: 129 samples were negative, and porcine DNA was detected in one sample each of instant noodles and dumpling. The real-time PCR applied in this study is a reliable analytical method to detect porcine DNA in food and can be used easily, quickly and routinely in food facilities.

Adoption of analytical technologies for verification of authenticity of halal foods - a review

Halal authentication has become essential in the food industry to ensure food is free from any prohibited ingredients according to Islamic law. Diversification of food origin and adulteration issues have raised concerns among Muslim consumers. Therefore, verification of food constituents and their quality is paramount. From conventional methods based on physical and chemical properties, various diagnostic methods have emerged relying on protein or DNA measurements. Protein-based methods that have been used in halal detection including electrophoresis, chromatographic-based methods, molecular spectroscopy and immunoassays. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) are DNA-based techniques that possess better accuracy and sensitivity. Biosensors are miniatured devices that operate by converting biochemical signals into a measurable quantity. CRISPR-Cas is one of the latest novel emerging nucleic acid detection tools in halal food analysis as well as quantification of stable isotopes method for identification of animal species. Within this context, this review provides an overview of the various techniques in halal detection along with their advantages and limitations. The future trend and growth of detection technologies are also discussed in this review.

The Application of Chemometrics in Metabolomic and Lipidomic Analysis Data Presentation for Halal Authentication of Meat Products

The halal status of meat products is an important factor being considered by many parties, especially Muslims. Analytical methods that have good specificity for the authentication of halal meat products are important as quality assurance to consumers. Metabolomic and lipidomic are two useful strategies in distinguishing halal and non-halal meat. Metabolomic and lipidomic analysis produce a large amount of data, thus chemometrics are needed to interpret and simplify the analytical data to ease understanding. This review explored the published literature indexed in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar on the application of chemometrics as a tool in handling the large amount of data generated from metabolomic and lipidomic studies specifically in the halal authentication of meat products. The type of chemometric methods used is described and the efficiency of time in distinguishing the halal and non-halal meat products using chemometrics methods such as PCA, HCA, PLS-DA, and OPLS-DA is discussed.

Current Analytical Methods and Research Trends Are Used to Identify Domestic Pig and Wild Boar DNA in Meat and Meat Products

The pig, one of the most important livestock species, is a meaningful source of global meat production. It is necessary, however, to prove whether a food product that a discerning customer selects in a store is actually made from pork or venison, or does not contain it at all. The problem of food authenticity is widespread worldwide, and cases of meat adulteration have accelerated the development of food and the identification methods of feed species. It is worth noting that several different molecular biology techniques can identify a porcine component. However, the precise differentiation between wild boar and a domestic pig in meat products is still challenging. This paper presents the current state of knowledge concerning the species identification of the domestic pig and wild boar DNA in meat and its products.

Spectroscopic techniques for authentication of animal origin foods

Milk and milk products, meat, fish and poultry as well as other animal derived foods occupy a pronounced position in human nutrition. Unfortunately, fraud in the food industry is common, resulting in negative economic consequences for customers as well as significant threats to human health and the external environment. As a result, it is critical to develop analytical tools that can quickly detect fraud and validate the authenticity of such products. Authentication of a food product is the process of ensuring that the product matches the assertions on the label and complies with rules. Conventionally, various comprehensive and targeted approaches like molecular, chemical, protein based, and chromatographic techniques are being utilized for identifying the species, origin, peculiar ingredients and the kind of processing method used to produce the particular product. Despite being very accurate and unimpeachable, these techniques ruin the structure of food, are labor intensive, complicated, and can be employed on laboratory scale. Hence the need of hour is to identify alternative, modern instrumentation techniques which can help in overcoming the majority of the limitations offered by traditional methods. Spectroscopy is a quick, low cost, rapid, non-destructive, and emerging approach for verifying authenticity of animal origin foods. In this review authors will envisage the latest spectroscopic techniques being used for detection of fraud or adulteration in meat, fish, poultry, egg, and dairy products. Latest literature pertaining to emerging techniques including their advantages and limitations in comparison to different other commonly used analytical tools will be comprehensively reviewed. Challenges and future prospects of evolving advanced spectroscopic techniques will also be descanted.

Rapid analysis to distinguish porcine and bovine gelatin using PANI/NiO nanoparticles modified Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) sensor

Rapid analysis to distinguish porcine and bovine gelatin using a modified Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) sensor has been studied. The PANI was deposited on the sensor surface using electropolymerization, and then nickel nanoparticles were deposited by layer by layer (LbL) technique. The modified QCM sensor's performance was compared to an unmodified sensor in porcine and bovine gelatin at neutral, acidic, and alkaline conditions. The result shows that the unmodified sensor cannot distinguish between porcine and bovine gelatin, whereas the modified QCM sensor produces a different response. Porcine gelatin shows an increasing frequency response, but in contrast, bovine gelatin decreases frequency response at the alkaline condition. The time response was 2 min with a detection limit of 51.2 ppm and 8.7 ppm for porcine and bovine gelatin, respectively. Further investigation shows that the modified sensor can analyze porcine gelatin contamination in the a mixed gelatin sample.

An Inexpensive CRISPR-Based Point-of-Care Test for the Identification of Meat Species and Meat Products

The growing demand for and supply of meat and meat products has led to a proportional increase in cases of meat adulteration. Adulterated meat poses serious economic and health consequences globally. Current laboratory methods for meat species identification require specialized equipment with limited field applications. This study developed an inexpensive, point-of-care Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP)-CRISPR/Cas12a colorimetric assay to detect meat species using a Texas Red-labelled single-strand (ssDNA) reporter. As low as 1.0 pg/µL of the porcine NADH4, the chicken NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) and the duck D-loop genes was detectable under white, blue and ultraviolet light. The test turnaround time from DNA extraction to visualization was approximately 40 min. The assay accurately detected pure and mixed-meat products in the laboratory (n = 15) and during a pilot point-of-care test (n = 8) in a food processing factory. The results are 100% reproducible using lateral flow detection strips and the real-time PCR detection instrument. This technology is fully deployable and usable in any standard room. Thus, our study demonstrates that this method is a straightforward, specific, sensitive, point-of-care test (POCT) adaptable to various outlets such as customs, quarantine units and meat import/export departments.

Development and evaluation of a meat mitochondrial metagenomic (3MG) method for composition determination of meat from fifteen mammalian and avian species

BACKGROUND

Bioassessment and biomonitoring of meat products are aimed at identifying and quantifying adulterants and contaminants, such as meat from unexpected sources and microbes. Several methods for determining the biological composition of mixed samples have been used, including metabarcoding, metagenomics and mitochondrial metagenomics. In this study, we aimed to develop a method based on next-generation DNA sequencing to estimate samples that might contain meat from 15 mammalian and avian species that are commonly related to meat bioassessment and biomonitoring.

RESULTS

In this project, we found the meat composition from 15 species could not be identified with the metabarcoding approach because of the lack of universal primers or insufficient discrimination power. Consequently, we developed and evaluated a meat mitochondrial metagenomics (3MG) method. The 3MG method has four steps: (1) extraction of sequencing reads from mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes); (2) assembly of mitogenomes; (3) mapping of mitochondrial reads to the assembled mitogenomes; and (4) biomass estimation based on the number of uniquely mapped reads. The method was implemented in a python script called 3MG. The analysis of simulated datasets showed that the method can determine contaminant composition at a proportion of 2% and the relative error was < 5%. To evaluate the performance of 3MG, we constructed and analysed mixed samples derived from 15 animal species in equal mass. Then, we constructed and analysed mixed samples derived from two animal species (pork and chicken) in different ratios. DNAs were extracted and used in constructing 21 libraries for next-generation sequencing. The analysis of the 15 species mix with the method showed the successful identification of 12 of the 15 (80%) animal species tested. The analysis of the mixed samples of the two species revealed correlation coefficients of 0.98 for pork and 0.98 for chicken between the number of uniquely mapped reads and the mass proportion.

CONCLUSION

To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate the potential of the non-targeted 3MG method as a tool for accurately estimating biomass in meat mix samples. The method has potential broad applications in meat product safety.

Carbon myopia: The urgent need for integrated social, economic and environmental action in the livestock sector

Livestock have long been integral to food production systems, often not by choice but by need. While our knowledge of livestock greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation has evolved, the prevailing focus has been-somewhat myopically-on technology applications associated with mitigation. Here, we (1) examine the global distribution of livestock GHG emissions, (2) explore social, economic and environmental co-benefits and trade-offs associated with mitigation interventions and (3) critique approaches for quantifying GHG emissions. This review uncovered many insights. First, while GHG emissions from ruminant livestock are greatest in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC; globally, 66% of emissions are produced by Latin America and the Caribbean, East and southeast Asia and south Asia), the majority of mitigation strategies are designed for developed countries. This serious concern is heightened by the fact that 80% of growth in global meat production over the next decade will occur in LMIC. Second, few studies concurrently assess social, economic and environmental aspects of mitigation. Of the 54 interventions reviewed, only 16 had triple-bottom line benefit with medium-high mitigation potential. Third, while efforts designed to stimulate the adoption of strategies allowing both emissions reduction (ER) and carbon sequestration (CS) would achieve the greatest net emissions mitigation, CS measures have greater potential mitigation and co-benefits. The scientific community must shift attention away from the prevailing myopic lens on carbon, towards more holistic, systems-based, multi-metric approaches that carefully consider the raison d'être for livestock systems. Consequential life cycle assessments and systems-aligned 'socio-economic planetary boundaries' offer useful starting points that may uncover leverage points and cross-scale emergent properties. The derivation of harmonized, globally reconciled sustainability metrics requires iterative dialogue between stakeholders at all levels. Greater emphasis on the simultaneous characterization of multiple sustainability dimensions would help avoid situations where progress made in one area causes maladaptive outcomes in other areas.

Chemometrics in Tandem with Hyperspectral Imaging for Detecting Authentication of Raw and Cooked Mutton Rolls

Authentication assurance of meat or meat products is critical in the meat industry. Various methods including DNA- or protein-based techniques are accurate for assessing meat authenticity, however, they are destructive, expensive, or laborious. This study explores the feasibility of chemometrics in tandem with hyperspectral imaging (HSI) for identifying raw and cooked mutton rolls substitution by pork and duck rolls. Raw or cooked samples (n = 180) of three meat species were prepared to collect hyperspectral images in range of 400-1000 nm. Spectra were extracted from representative regions of interest (ROIs), and spectral principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that PC1 and PC2 were effective for the identification. Different methods including standard normal variable (SNV), first and second derivatives, and normalization were individually employed for spectral preprocessing, and modeling methods of partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and support vector machines (SVM) were also individually applied to develop classification models for both the raw and the cooked. Results showed that PLS-DA model developed by raw spectra presented the highest 100% correct classification rate (CCR) of success in all sets. After that, effective wavelengths selected by successive projections algorithm (SPA) built optimal simplified models which didn't influence the modeling results compared with full spectra regardless of the meat roll states. Therefore, SPA-PLS-DA models were subsequently used to visualize the raw and cooked meat rolls classification. As a consequence, the general meat species of both raw and cooked meat rolls were readily discernible in pixel-wise manner by generating classification maps. The results showed that HSI combined with chemometrics can be used to identify the authentication of raw and cooked mutton rolls substituted by pork and duck rolls accurately. This promising methodology provides a reference which can be extended to the classification or grading of other meat rolls.

Short targeting multiplex PCR assay to detect and discriminate beef, buffalo, chicken, duck, goat, sheep and pork DNA in food products

Food fraud is a global problem raising increased concerns during the past decades and food authenticity is now a burning issue. Beef, buffalo, chicken, duck, goat, sheep, and pork are heavily consumed meats bearing nutritional, economic and cultural/religious importance and are often found to be adulterated in raw and processed states. To authenticate these species, we developed and validated a highly specific multiplex (heptaplex) PCR assay targeting short length amplicons (73-263 bp) using seven pairs of species-specific primer sets targeting mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) genes. Specificity checking (in silico and in vitro) against 25 non-target species revealed no cross-species amplification. The developed multiplex assay was validated with various adulterated and heat-treated (boiled, microwaved and autoclaved) meatball products and were found to show high sensitivity and stability under all processing conditions. The assay was sensitive enough to detect 0.01-0.005 ng of DNA from raw meat and 0.5% (w/w) adulterated meat in mixed matrices. A market survey revealed mislabelling of 95% beef and 15% chicken products while pork products were found pure. Given some advantageous features including short sizes of amplicons, exceptional stability and superior sensitivity, the developed assay could be conveniently used for discriminatory detection of target species with a variety of raw meat as well as processed meat products undergoing extreme processing treatments.

Identification for adulteration of beef with chicken based on single primer-triggered isothermal amplification

Adulteration of beef with cheap chicken has become a growing problem worldwide. In this study, a quick, single primer-triggered isothermal amplification (SAMP) combined with a fast nucleic acid extraction method was employed to detect the chicken meat in adulterated beef. Chicken from adulterated beef was identified using the chicken species-specific primer designed according to the Gallus gallus mitochondrial conserved sequences. Our SAMP method displayed good specificity and sensitivity in detecting chicken and beef meat DNA–the limit of detection (LOD) of SAMP is 0.33 pg/μL of chicken and beef total DNA and 2% w/w chicken meat in beef. The whole work flow from DNA extraction to signal detection can be finished within 1 h, fulfilling the requirement of on-site meat species identification.

Non-Destructive Spectroscopic and Imaging Techniques for the Detection of Processed Meat Fraud

In recent years, meat authenticity awareness has increased and, in the fight to combat meat fraud, various analytical methods have been proposed and subsequently evaluated. Although these methods have shown the potential to detect low levels of adulteration with high reliability, they are destructive, time-consuming, labour-intensive, and expensive. Therefore, rendering them inappropriate for rapid analysis and early detection, particularly under the fast-paced production and processing environment of the meat industry. However, modern analytical methods could improve this process as the food industry moves towards methods that are non-destructive, non-invasive, simple, and on-line. This review investigates the feasibility of different non-destructive techniques used for processed meat authentication which could provide the meat industry with reliable and accurate real-time monitoring, in the near future.

Value-based eating habits; exploring religio-cultural nutritional behavior norms

Purpose

Defining a standard norm is critical in nutritional cognitive-behavioral interventions. These norms can be derived from a statistical or value-based point of view. Religion and subsequent cultural values can have significant effects on social behaviors, especially on eating habits. In this study, the authors quantify the presence of religio-cultural nutritional behavior norms in Abrahamic scriptures.

Methods

Qualitative content analysis and descriptive analysis were applied to these texts to provide a better understanding of the subject.

Results

The extracted norms were categorized into nine main behavioral domains, and most of the observed value-based norms were in agreement with previous experimental researches.

Conclusion

There is strong emphasis on nutritional habits in value-based religio-cultural sources. The use of these norms in later policies and practices is advised. This approach can lead to healthier nutritional choices and a decrease in non-communicable diseases.

Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry and Rapid Evaporative Ionization Mass Spectrometry Were Used to Develop a Lamb Authentication Method: A Preliminary Study

A untargeted metabolomics approach was proposed in this study based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight (UHPLC-QTOF) and rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry (REIMS) to discriminate lamb and mutton meat and investigate their subtle metabolic differences, considering the higher popularity of lamb meat than mutton in the market. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed for data processing in order to distinguish between the two sample types. A total of 42 potential metabolites (20 in positive and 22 in negative ion mode) were defined for UHPLC-QTOF analysis, which provided references for discriminating the two kinds of meat. Furthermore, three potential markers were tentatively identified using LC/MS data against chemical databases. In addition, 14 potential metabolites were putatively identified in negative ion mode using the LipidMaps database. Meanwhile, the data-driven soft independent modeling of class analogy (DD-SIMCA) model was established, which could rapidly differentiate non-pretreated lamb meat and mutton with 92% specificity, rendering REIMS a promising technique for meat identification.

Flesh ID: Nanopore Sequencing Combined with Offline BLAST Search for the Identification of Meat Source

Detection of animal species in meat product is crucial to prevent adulterated and unnecessary contamination during processing, in addition to avoid allergy and religious consequences. Gold standard is the real-time PCR assays, which has a limited target capability. In this study, we have established a rapid sequencing protocol to identify animal species within hours. Sequencing was achieved by nanopore sequencing and data analysis via offline BLAST search. The whole procedure was conducted in a mobile suitcase lab. As per national and international regulations, the developed assay detected adulteration of pork meat with 0.1% of horse, chicken, turkey, cattle, sheep, duck, rabbit, goat, and donkey. The developed test could be used on-site as a rapid and mobile detection system to determine contamination of meat products.

Assessment of carbonic anhydrase 3 as a marker for meat authenticity and performance of LC-MS/MS for pork content

In recent years, food fraud is a global issue that has raised wide public concern. Mass spectrometry techniques have a significant advantage of qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing food authenticity, especially for highly processed meat products. In this work, a simple and specific, rapid resolution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of pork content in processed meat products according to internal standard (ISTD) method. To improve the efficiency of sample preparation, simplified bead-beating and enzymolysis process were investigated. In contrast with different heat-stable and specific porcine-peptides, EPITVSSDQMAK, GGPLTAAYR, HDPSLLPWTASYDPGSAK from Carbonic anhydrase 3 proved to have an excellent quantitative ability, thus obtaining good linear relationship and satisfactory recovery. This method was successfully applied to different types of meat products, thus demonstrating that complex mixtures of pork content can be accurately quantified.

The use of beetroot extract and extract powder in sausages as natural food colorant

Four colorants (control, carmine, beetroot extract and beetroot extract powder) and two methods (fermentation and heat treatment) were used in the production of sausages. The betalain content, total phenolic substance content and ORAC and TEAC values of concentrated beetroot extract were 562.08 mg/L, 27.72 mg GAE/mL, 33.96 µmol TE/mL and 35.70 mmol TE/L, respectively. The moisture content, pH value, lightness (L*), yellowness (b*) and odor values of heat-processed sausages were higher than those of fermented sausages. 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values were lower in sausages with beetroot extract (20.51 μmol·MDA/kg) and powder (19.03 μmol MDA/kg) than for control and carmine treatments. The use of beetroot extract and powder positively affected the sensory appearance, color, flavor and overall acceptance of sausages. Thus, beetroot extract and powder could be used as alternatives to carmine in sausage production.

Safety, Quality and Analytical Authentication of ḥalāl Meat Products, with Particular Emphasis on Salami: A Review

Only some animal species could be transformed into ḥalāl salami and the raw meat must be obtained from ritually slaughtered animals. Several scientific studies have been conducted on ritual slaughtering practices and manufacturing of meat products for Jewish and Muslim religious communities; furthermore, many projects have been funded by the European Community on this topic. The authenticity and traceability of meat is one of the priorities of ḥalāl food certification systems. The pig matrix (meat and/or lard) may be fraudulently present in ḥalāl processed meat, as well as salami, for both economic and technological purposes; in fact, the use of these raw materials reflects the easier availability and their lower cost; furthermore, it allows manufacturers to obtain final products with better quality (sensory properties) and stability (especially with respect to oxidative reactions). The aim of this review is to discuss the qualitative and technological aspects of ḥalāl raw meat for dry fermented sausages (salami); moreover, this study focuses on the most recent studies carried out on the certification system and on the analytical methods performed in order to solve problems such as fraud and adulteration of ḥalāl salami and other halal meat foods.

Simultaneous identification of animal-derived components in meats using high-throughput sequencing in combination with a custom-built mitochondrial genome database

Currently, the inspection and supervision of animal ingredients relies primarily upon specific amplification-dependent methods, whose efficiency and accuracy are being seriously challenged by the increasing diversity and complexity of meat products. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology was employed to develop an alternative method to detect animal-derived ingredients in meat products. A custom-built database containing 2,354 complete mitochondrial genomic sequences from animals, an identification analysis pipeline based on short-sequence alignment, and a web-based server were built to facilitate this detection. The entire process, including DNA extraction, gene amplification, and sequencing, was established and optimized for both marker gene (part of the CYTB gene)-based detection and total DNA-based detection. Using simulated samples containing various levels of pig, cattle, sheep, chicken, rabbit, and mice ingredients, the detection capability and accuracy of this method were investigated. The results of this study indicated that the method is capable of detecting animal components in meats that are present at levels as low as 1%. Our method was then tested using 28 batches of real meat products such as raw meat slices, raw meat mince, cooked dried meat, cooked meat sausage, and other supermarket samples, with a traditional qPCR method as the control. The results demonstrated an accuracy of 97.65% for the qualitative detection method, which indicate that the developed method is reliable for the detection of animal components. The method is also effective for the identification of unknown food samples containing mixed animal components, which suggests a good future in application.

Sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction in the detection of rat meat adulteration of beef meatballs in Indonesia

Background and Aim:

Meatballs are a processed product of animal origin that is consumed cooked, usually with chicken, beef, or pork as the main ingredient. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous sellers in Indonesia may adulterate this product with rat meat to decrease production costs. Rat meat in any food is a critical public health issue and is prohibited under Indonesian food safety laws, as well as within Muslim communities. This study aimed to test the sensitivity of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method in the detection of rat meat contained in processed, cooked beef meatballs.

Materials and Methods:

Beef meatballs were formulated with different concentrations of rat meat. Molecular detection of adulteration was initiated by DNA extraction of each cooked meatball formulation followed by PCR using a specific primer for mitochondrial DNA Cytochrome b gene of rat, which primer sequences, i.e., forward primer: 5’CATGGGGACGAGGACTATACTATG ’3 and reverse primer: 5’GTAGTCCCAATGTAAGGGATAGCTG’3.

Results:

Our study showed that the PCR method is sensitive in detecting 5% or greater rat meat adulteration of cooked beef meatballs.

Conclusion:

The PCR method can be used to detect most rat meat adulteration of cooked beef meatballs and offers a sensitive and effective means to protect food safety and religious requirements in Indonesia.

Rapid detection of adulteration of minced beef using Vis/NIR reflectance spectroscopy with multivariate methods

High economic returns induce the continuous occurrence of meat adulteration. In this study, visible/near-infrared (Vis/NIR) reflectance spectroscopy with multivariate methods was used for the rapid detection of adulteration in minced beef. First, the reflectance spectra of different adulterated minced beef samples were measured at 350-2500 nm. Standardization and Savitzky-Golay (SG) smoothing were applied to reduce spectral interference and noise. Then, support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), partial least squares regression (PLSR), and deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) were adopted for adulteration type identification and level prediction. Moreover, principal component analysis (PCA), locally linear embedding (LLE), subwindow permutation analysis (SPA), and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) were performed to eliminate redundant information. SG smoothing performed better on interference reduction. DCNN and PCA identified adulteration type with the accuracy above 99%. In adulteration level prediction, the RF with spectra of important wavelengths selected by CARS provided optimal performance for beef adulterated with pork, and coefficient of determination of prediction (R²_P) and the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) were 0.973 and 2.145. The best prediction for beef adulterated with beef heart was obtained using PLSR and CARS with R²_P of 0.960 and RMSEP of 2.758. Accordingly, Vis/NIR reflectance spectroscopy coupled with multivariate methods can provide the rapid and accurate detection of adulterated minced beef.

Rapid detection of porcine DNA in processed food samples using a streamlined DNA extraction method combined with the SYBR Green real-time PCR assay

A specialized DNA extraction method and a SYBR Green quantitative polymerase chain reaction (SyG-qPCR) assay were combined to generate a ready-to-use kit for rapid detection of porcine admixtures in processed meat products. Our qPCR assay utilized repetitive LINE-1 elements specific to the genome of Sus scrofa domesticus (pig) as a target and incorporated internal controls. We improved the genomic DNA extraction method, and reduced extraction times to the minimum. The method was validated for specificity, sensitivity (0.001% w/w) and robustness, and values were compared with those of a commercially available kit. We also tested our method using 121 processed food products and consistently detected amplification only in samples containing pork. Due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, our method represents a valuable new method for detecting food adulteration with pork that is superior to existing quality control approaches.

Current analytical methods for porcine identification in meat and meat products

Authentication of meat products is critical in the food industry. Meat adulteration may lead to religious apprehensions, financial gain and food-toxicities such as meat allergies. Thus, empirical validation of the quality and constituents of meat is paramount. Various analytical methods often based on protein or DNA measurements are utilized to identify meat species. Protein-based methods, including electrophoretic and immunological techniques, are at times unsuitable for discriminating closely related species. Most of these methods have been replaced by more accurate and sensitive detection methods, such as DNA-based techniques. Emerging technologies like DNA barcoding and mass spectrometry are still in their infancy when it comes to their utilization in meat detection. Gold nanobiosensors have shown some promise in this regard. However, its applicability in small scale industries is distant. This article comprehensively reviews the recent developments in the field of analytical methods used for porcine identification.

Research status in Halal: a review and bibliometric analysis

Purpose

Halal is an emerging business sector and is steadily gaining popularity among scholars and practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate and review the reported literature in the broad area of Halal using bibliometric technique and network analysis tools. Moreover, this paper also proposes future research directions in the field of Halal.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employed a systematic review technique followed by bibliometric analysis to gain insight and to evaluate the research area associated with Halal. Furthermore, data mining techniques are used for analysing the concerned article title, keywords and abstract of 946 research articles obtained through the Scopus database. Finally, network analysis is used to identify significant research clusters.

Findings

This study reports top authors contributing to this area, the key sub-research areas and the influential works based on citations and PageRank. We identified from the citation analysis that major influential works of Halal are from the subject area of biological science and related areas. Further, this study reports established and emerging research clusters, which provide future research directions.

Research limitations/implications

Scopus database is used to conduct a systematic review and corresponding bibliometric study; the authors might have missed some peer-reviewed studies not reported in Scopus. The selection of keywords for article search may not be accurate for the multi-disciplinary Halal area. Also, the authors have not considered the banking/financial aspects of Halal. The proposed four research clusters may inform potential researcher towards supporting the industry.

Originality/value

The novelty of the study is that no published study has reported the bibliometric study and network analysis techniques in the area of Halal.

Electrochemical sensory detection of Sus scrofa mtDNA for food adulteration using hybrid ferrocenylnaphthalene diimide intercalator as a hybridization indicator

In this study, an electrochemical DNA biosensor was developed based on the fabrication of silicon nanowires/platinum nanoparticles (SiNWs/PtNPs) on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) for the detection of Sus scrofa mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in food utilizing a new hybrid indicator, ferrocenylnaphthalene diimide (FND). The morphology and elemental composition of the SiNWs/PtNPs-modified SPCE was analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to study the electrical contact between the PtNPs and the screen-printed working electrode through SiNWs, while electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to measure the charge transfer resistance of the modified electrode. The results clearly showed that the SiNWs/PtNPs were successfully coated onto the electrode and the effective surface area for the SiNWs/PtNPs-modified SPCE was increased 16.8 times as compared with that of the bare SPCE. Differential pulse voltammetry used for the detection of porcine DNA with FND as an intercalator confirmed its specific binding to the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) sequences. The developed biosensor showed a selective response towards complementary target DNA and was able to distinguish non-complementary and mismatched DNA oligonucleotides. The SiNWs/PtNPs-modified SPCE that was fortified with DNA hybridization demonstrated good linearity in the range of 3 × 10⁻⁹ M to 3 × 10⁻⁵ M (R² = 0.96) with a detection limit of 2.4 × 10⁻⁹ M. A cross-reactivity study against various types of meat and processed food showed good reliability for porcine samples.

An electrochemical DNA biosensor was developed based on the fabrication of silicon nanowires/platinum nanoparticles on a screen-printed carbon electrode for the detection of Sus scrofa mitochondrial DNA in food.

GLAPD: Whole Genome Based LAMP Primer Design for a Set of Target Genomes

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technology has been applied in a wide range of fields such as detection of foodborne bacteria and clinical pathogens due to its simplicity and efficiency. However, existing LAMP primer designing systems require a conserved gene or a short genome region as input, and they can’t design group-specific primers. With the growing number of whole genomes available, it is possible to design better primers to target a set of genomes with high specificity based on whole genomes. We present here a whole Genome based LAMP primer designer (GLAPD), a new system to design LAMP primer for a set of target genomes using whole genomes. Candidate single primer regions are identified genome wide and then combined into LAMP primer sets. For a given set of target genomes, only primer sets amplifying them and only these genomes will be output. In order to accelerate the primer designing, a GPU version is provided as well. The effectiveness of primers designed by GLAPD has been assessed for a wide range of foodborne bacteria. GLAPD can be accessed at http://cgm.sjtu.edu.cn/GLAPD/ or https://github.com/jiqingxiaoxi/GLAPD.git. A simple online version is also supplied to help users to learn and test GLAPD: http://cgm.sjtu.edu.cn/GLAPD/online/.

Monitoring of sausage products sold in Sichuan Province, China: a first comprehensive report on meat species' authenticity determination

Presently, there is growing concern worldwide regarding the adulteration of meat products. However, no reports on determining meat authenticity have been reported in China. To verify labelling compliance and evaluate the existence of fraudulent practices, 250 sausage samples were purchased from local markets in Sichuan Province and analysed for the presence of chicken, pork, beef, duck and genetically modified soybean DNA using real-time and end-point PCR methods, providing a Chinese case study on the problem of world food safety. In total, 74.4% (186) of the samples were properly labelled, while the other 25.6% (64) were potentially adulterated samples, which involved three illicit practices: product removal, addition and substitution. The most common mislabelling was the illegal addition of, or contamination with, duck. Therefore, meat authenticity monitoring should be routinely conducted. Additionally, the strict implementation of the nation’s food safety laws, along with regular surveillance, should be compulsory to alleviate and deter meat adulteration.