title: Trends and advances in food analysis by real-time polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: Analyses to ensure food safety and quality are more relevant now because of rapid changes in the quantity, diversity and mobility of food. Food-contamination must be determined to maintain health and up-hold laws, as well as for ethical and cultural concerns. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a rapid and inexpensive quantitative method to detect the presence of targeted DNA-segments in samples, helps in determining both accidental and intentional adulterations of foods by biological contaminants. This review presents recent developments in theory, techniques, and applications of RT-PCR in food analyses, RT-PCR addresses the limitations of traditional food analyses in terms of sensitivity, range of analytes, multiplexing ability, cost, time, and point-of-care applications. A range of targets, including species of plants or animals which are used as food ingredients, food-borne bacteria or viruses, genetically modified organisms, and allergens, even in highly processed foods can be identified by RT-PCR, even at very low concentrations. Microfluidic RT-PCR eliminates the separate sample-processing step to create opportunities for point-of-care analyses. We also cover the challenges related to using RT-PCR for food analyses, such as the need to further improve sample handling.
authors.affiliation: Biosensors and Biotechnology Laboratory, Integrated Science Building, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong, BE 1410 Brunei Darussalam.
authors.forename: Nur Thaqifah
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Salihah
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, 4331 Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Mohammad Mosharraf
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.affiliation: Biosensors and Biotechnology Laboratory, Integrated Science Building, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong, BE 1410 Brunei Darussalam.
authors.forename: Hamadah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lubis
authors.affiliation: Biosensors and Biotechnology Laboratory, Integrated Science Building, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong, BE 1410 Brunei Darussalam.
authors.forename: Minhaz Uddin
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Ahmed
keywords: DNA; Food analysis; GMO detection; Halal; Kosher; RT-PCR