title: PCR identification of beef, sheep, goat, and pork in raw and heat-treated meat mixtures.
abstract: A PCR assay has been developed for the specific and qualitative detection of pork (Sus scrofa domesticus), beef (Bos taurus), sheep (Ovis aries), and goat (Capra hircus) in raw and heat-treated meat mixtures. A forward common primer was designed on a conserved DNA sequence in the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene (rRNA), and reverse primers were designed to hybridize on species-specific DNA sequences of each species considered. The different sizes of the species-specific amplicons, separated by agarose gel electrophoresis, allowed clear species identification. Analysis of experimental meat mixtures demonstrated that the detection limit of the assay was 1% (wt/wt) for each species analyzed. This assay can be useful for the accurate identification of these species, avoiding mislabeling or fraudulent species substitution in meat mixtures.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrición y Bromatología III, Higiene y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Asensio
authors.forename: Pablo E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martín
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D017931:DNA Primers; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D006041:Goats / Q000235:genetics*; D008461:Meat Products / Q000032:analysis / Q000145:classification*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D012756:Sheep / Q000235:genetics*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; C075526:RNA, ribosomal, 12S; D004247:DNA