Do You Know What You Eat? Kebab Adulteration in Poland

In recent years, consumer interest in meat authenticity has increased. Fraudulent claims are most likely to be regarding meat origin, meat substitution, meat processing treatment, and non-meat ingredient additions. This study focuses on the substitution of meat species in processed kebab-like food sales in Poland. The growing popularity of kebab-like foods and the limited number of official inspections of this type of food make this topic interesting. In this study, the results reveal that 60% of the foods analyzed contain an undeclared ingredient or the substitution of an expensive ingredient with a cheaper option.

Species identification of ten common farm animals based on mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene polymorphisms

Bio-techniques such as genetic manipulation, marker-assisted selection, and identity test have largely facilitated the modern animal production practices. In the present study, we established a reliable and cost-effective molecular method of species identification for common farm animals. We first (re-)analyzed 179 mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene sequences of ten farm animal species to determine the intra-species and species-specific variations. The PCR-RFLP method was subsequently designed to identify these species by using endonucleases BshNI, ScaI, AluI, and BfaI. The poultry and livestock species were first discriminated by one double-digestion of both BshNI and ScaI, which generated different fragment patterns (325 bp and 115 bp for poultry vs. 364 bp and 76 bp for livestock). The ten species could be further discerned according to species-specific restriction pattern by subjecting to digestion of AluI and BfaI, respectively. Our approach would be more reliable by taking the intra-species variations into consideration and could be applied to species identity test, commercial fraud, and wildlife crime.

Development of a real-time PCR assay to control the illegal trade of meat from protected capercaillie species (Tetrao urogallus)

A rapid and highly species-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay has been developed for the detection of capercaillie DNA (Tetrao urogallus) in meat and meat mixtures. The method combines the use of capercaillie-specific primers, that amplify a 142bp fragment of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene, and a positive control primer pair that amplifies a 141bp fragment of the nuclear 18S rRNA gene from eukaryotic DNA. SYBR(®) Green dye or TaqMan(®) fluorogenic probes were used to monitor the amplification of the target genes. Results obtained with the use of TaqMan(®) probes as detection platform increased the specificity of the real-time PCR assay in comparison with the results obtained using SYBR(®) Green. The proposed real-time PCR assay represents a rapid and straightforward method for the accurate identification of capercaillie that could be used by law enforcement agencies as a tool for the control of poaching and illegal trade of meat from this protected species.

Polymerase chain reaction assay for verifying the labeling of meat and commercial meat products from game birds targeting specific sequences from the mitochondrial D-loop region

A PCR assay was developed for the identification of meats and commercial meat products from quail (Coturnix coturnix), pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), partridge (Alectoris spp.), guinea fowl (Numida meleagris), pigeon (Columba spp.), Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola), and song thrush (Turdus philomelos) based on oligonucleotide primers targeting specific sequences from the mitochondrial D-loop region. The primers designed generated specific fragments of 96, 100, 104, 106, 147, 127, and 154 bp in length for quail, pheasant, partridge, guinea fowl, pigeon, Eurasian woodcock, and song thrush tissues, respectively. The specificity of each primer pair was tested against DNA from various game and domestic species. In this work, satisfactory amplification was accomplished in the analysis of experimentally pasteurized (72 degrees C for 30 min) and sterilized (121 degrees C for 20 min) meats, as well as in commercial meat products from the target species. The technique was also applied to raw and sterilized muscular binary mixtures, with a detection limit of 0.1% (wt/wt) for each of the targeted species. The proposed PCR assay represents a rapid and straightforward method for the detection of possible mislabeling in game bird meat products.