Beef- and bovine-derived material identification in processed and unprocessed food and feed by PCR amplification

This research developed and evaluated a PCR procedure to detect beef in heated and unheated meat, sausages, and canned food, using a specific and sensitive method. To confirm the effectiveness and specificity of this fragment, we tested 45 cattle blood DNA samples (from different breeds) and obtained positive results. With 125 samples tested from other species, the specific beef amplification was not detected. Feed components intended for cattle nutrition were also checked, and bovine-derived material was detected. Using this method we can detect the degree of contamination up to 0.01% raw beef in pork. In the same way, 1% beef was detected in cooked meat mixtures and bovine-derived material in concentrate mixtures. Beef has been identified in both heated and unheated meat products, sausages, canned food, and hamburgers. In conclusion, specific PCR amplification of a repetitive DNA element seems to be a powerful technique for the identification of beef in processed and unprocessed food, because of its simplicity, specificity and sensitivity. Furthermore, feed components intended for cattle nutrition can be checked. The procedure is also much cheaper than other methods based on RFLPs-PCR, immunodiffusion, and other techniques that need expensive equipment.