Malayasian researchers have developed an assay to simultaneously determine 7 meat species (beef, buffalo, chicken, duck, sheep, goat and pork) in processed meat products. Species specific primers to the 7 species were designed, which target the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) genes, to amplify short DNA fragments (73-263 bp) by PCR (polymerase chain reaction). These were then treated with 3 restriction enzymes ( FatI, BfaI, and HPY188I) to cut the amplicons down into smaller fragments, which were separated by gel electrophoresis. The bp (base pair) length and number of these fragments are unique to each of the species. The assay was tested against 25 non-target species to ensure specificity to the 7 target species, and the limit of detection was determined as 0.5% (w/w) in different matrices. The assay worked on heat treated meat products. A survey of local market meat products detected buffalo DNA in 84% of commercial beef burgers and frankfurter products tested.
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