Fast Real-Time PCR Method for Detection of Soy in Foods

Soy is used as an additive in the manufacturing of diverse products, because of their ability of emulsification, water and fat absorption, contributing to the consistency of food products. Moreover, soy is recognized as a potential allergen, so its presence should be indicated in all the food products.These issues highlight the need for techniques that allow the detection of soy in foods. This work describes a real-time PCR method for the detection of soy in a wide range of foodstuffs. The main features of this technique are its reliability and sensitivity, allowing the detection of trace amounts of soybean in processed products. TaqMan real-time PCR is one of the simplest and fastest molecular biology techniques, with a high potential for automation. Therefore, it is one of the techniques most used for screening a variety of substances.The methodology herein described is of great value in issues regarding the presence of soy protein in processed products, especially in verifying labeling and security regulations to protect consumer's rights.