Scientists have developed a new method to detect traces of pork
and horsemeat in 'halal' meat, including beef, chicken and lamb, amid
the recent controversy over the horsemeat scandal in Europe.
The new method has been developed by scientists at the University
of Munster, Germany, along with those from AB SCIEX, a global leader in
analytical technology.
The method, which was recently published in the Journal of
Agriculture and Food Chemistry, uses liquid chromatography and tandem
mass spectrometry to detect a number of biomarker peptides that are
specific to pig and/or horse.
It allows food-testing laboratories to test products for traces
of pork and horse meat quickly and easily, a statement released here
said.
The mislabelling of meat products sold for human consumption has
serious implications from safety and ethical perspectives. With recent
news stories of pork and horse meat contamination in different parts of
the world, a renewed need for specialised testing of the food supply has
rapidly arisen, it said.
For Muslim and Jewish communities, in particular, it is critical
for consumers to know whether there is even the slightest contamination
of foods that are considered permissible to eat (halal and kosher),
having been prepared in accordance with Islamic or Jewish beliefs,
respectively.
This new finding is an effort to help serve the interests of
these communities that together make up approximately 23 per cent of the
global population, the statement said.
Major concerns about inaccurate, fraudulent or misleading
labelling of meat-based products were raised during 2013 following
numerous reports of horse and pig meat being detected, but not disclosed
as contents, in beef-based products sold in supermarket chains across
Europe.
"We are continuing our AB SCIEX tradition in partnering with
experts in industry and academia to develop analytical tools that solve
big problems," said Vincent Paez, senior director of food and
environmental department at AB SCIEX.
"The halal testing method is a new tool that effectively
addresses the safety, religious, ethical and dietary concerns of
consumers who avoid products with pig and horse meat," Paez said.
Scientists at AB SCIEX are continuing to look into other similar
