SCIEX has announced that a new meat species authentication method designed for Halal food verification has been developed using their QTRAP 6500 LC-MS/MS system. Scientists at the University of Münster, Germany, have developed the first method that can detect multiple species simultaneously while achieving the lowest limits of detection, even in cooked and highly processed meats. The method marks a new dimension in meat speciation testing, delivering excellent sensitivity and reliability of results compared with traditional approaches to meat authentication. Novel methods such as this significantly advance the science of combatting food fraud.
For Muslim and Jewish cultures, in particular, it is critical for consumers to know that foods have been prepared in accordance with their beliefs. Traditional Halal meat speciation testing methods utilising PCR and ELISA have concerning limitations, particularly in their lack of specificity, which can lead to false product labeling and ultimately food fraud. However, this new LC-MS/MS based method enables robust, specific and simultaneous detection of protein peptides of multiple meat species including beef, chicken, pig, goat, lamb, deer and many more, at levels as low as 0.02%, and can be used to support Halal certification testing.
To learn more about the techniques to help validate lawful Halal products, download the Halal Food and Product Testing Info Kit.
