PCR detection kit

Identification of animal species, plant species and food fraud

Detection by real-time PCR

Application:

The accurate and reliable identification of animal and plant components in food and animal feed is becoming increasingly important for religious, health, legal and commercial reasons. GEN-IAL® GmbH offers the identification and differentiation of animal species, plant species and product adulteration (food fraud) at DNA level as an important part of the quality control of food and feed.

The tests are carried out using real-time PCR. It is a very sensitive method that enables identification of the respective animal or plant species even in complex or highly heated products through the use of species-specific PCR primers and probes.

Food is increasingly being adulterated for economic reasons. High-quality meat is sometimes replaced by cheap, inferior meat (e.g. the horsemeat scandal: food declared as beef contained up to 100% undeclared horsemeat). Furthermore, health aspects, such as the accepted risk to consumers (e.g. allergic reactions), are also playing an increasingly important role (e.g. peanut flour in garlic powder or hazelnut semolina). The real-time PCR method is very suitable for detecting product adulteration, checking for botanical impurities and identifying the respective plant or animal species.

Particularly frequently affected foods are e.g:

• Meat and sausage products
• Dairy products
• Fish and seafood
• Oils (olive oil) and fats
• Honey
• Coffee, tea
• Wine and fruit juices
• Spices
• Protein hydrolysates
• Gelatine
• Baked goods
• Lecithins
• Drinks

The EU Control Regulation No. 2017/625 (valid from September 2019) makes food fraud an obligation for all member states. Food fraud is also covered by other international standards.

The method is also ideal for testing vegan/vegetarian products or animal products for plant additives, for HALAL certification, kosher food and for detecting ruminants in animal feed.

Halal

For Muslim consumers, according to the Koran and the Sunnah, not even the slightest contamination of certain animal products is allowed in food, e.g. pork in meat products.

As the market for halal food continues to grow, halal certification is becoming increasingly important for food manufacturers and suppliers. The complex supply chain processes in particular favor accidental contamination, which must be avoided.

Kosher

According to the Torah, Jewish consumers are only allowed to eat kosher food. Meat from animals other than cloven-hoofed animals, e.g. pigs, horses, camels … is prohibited. Eels, whales and shellfish are also not kosher.

GEN-IAL^® First PCR-Kits

In order to meet these requirements and the mandatory zero tolerance, there are PCR testkits that can specifically detect whether, for example, pork or plant-based ingredients are contained in food.

The Multiplex GEN-IAL^® First PCR-Kits developed and validated by GEN-IAL®enable the identification of plant and animal species in raw materials, highly heated and complex products by using species-specific DNA sequences. Detection is performed by fluorescence measurement using the hydrolysis probe format (TaqMan^®). Using hot-start PCR plus double-labelled sequence-specific probes (FAM / HEX / ROX / CY5), a measurable fluorescence signal of a defined wavelength is emitted during the extension phase if hybridization to the target sequence is correct. An inhibition control is amplified together with the specific sequence in a reaction tube to exclude false negative results due to inhibition.

The GEN-IAL® First PCR-Kits are continuously tested in ring trials and proficiency tests.