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Development of a cows' milk identification test (COMIT) for field use.
T García1, R Martín, E Rodríguez
1Departamento de Higiene y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
The Journal of Dairy Research
|November 1, 1989
Summary
A new cows' milk identification test (COMIT) accurately detects cow's milk in sheep's milk. This practical agar-gel immunodiffusion assay is suitable for field use and commercial kit development.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Immunology
Background:
- Accurate identification of milk species is crucial for food authenticity and regulatory compliance.
- Adulteration of sheep's milk with cow's milk is a potential economic fraud.
- Existing methods may lack practicality for field or factory settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a reliable test for detecting cow's milk in sheep's milk.
- To create a practical assay suitable for on-site or factory use.
- To assess the suitability of the test for commercialization.
Main Methods:
- Development of a cows' milk identification test (COMIT) using polyclonal antibodies against bovine whey proteins.
- Application of an agar-gel immunodiffusion technique with a printed template.
- Detection based on the fusion of precipitin lines between sample and antisera discs.
Main Results:
- The COMIT successfully detected defined amounts of cow's milk (3-100%) in sheep's milk.
- The test demonstrated reliability and ease of performance.
- The assay components showed stability suitable for commercialization.
Conclusions:
- The developed COMIT is a reliable and practical method for identifying cow's milk in sheep's milk.
- The test's ease of use and stability make it ideal for inspection programs and commercial kit development.
- This assay supports milk authenticity verification in dairy industries.