Meat species identification has always been a challenge in highly processed foods, such as gelatines and stocks.
One approach is to measure proteins and protein patterns using mass spectrometry (MS). A previous research project, under the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Food Authenticity Programme, developed and in-house validated a method using proteomics.
That work has now been built upon by another 3 Defra projects to streamline the method to look for specific markers, in a format that can be used routinely by testing laboratories, and to fully validate the routine method including by interlaboratory trial.
All four research reports are now signposted on FAN’s Research pages. Scroll through the table to find the appropriate report reference number:
- FA0166 – the original 2019 project – “Development, optimisation and validation of a non-targeted proteomics method for meat species identification”
- FA0165 – “Liquid chromatography targeted mass spectrometry method to determine the animal origin of gelatine - transfer to a high throughput, low cost platform with single lab evaluation”
- FA0177 – “Gelatine species determination, completion of method validation and determination of a quantitative method”
- FA0187 – “Interlaboratory trial of a mass spectrometry method for meat species determination”
