Foods (Nov 2021)

Real-Time PCR Assay for the Detection and Quantification of Roe Deer to Detect Food Adulteration—Interlaboratory Validation Involving Laboratories in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland

  • Barbara Druml,
  • Steffen Uhlig,
  • Kirsten Simon,
  • Kirstin Frost,
  • Karina Hettwer,
  • Margit Cichna-Markl,
  • Rupert Hochegger

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112645
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 11
p. 2645

Abstract

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Game meat products are particularly prone to be adulterated by replacing game meat with cheaper meat species. Recently, we have presented a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the identification and quantification of roe deer in food. Quantification of the roe deer content in % (w/w) was achieved relatively by subjecting the DNA isolates to a reference real-time PCR assay in addition to the real-time PCR assay for roe deer. Aiming at harmonizing analytical methods for food authentication across EU Member States, the real-time PCR assay for roe deer has been tested in an interlaboratory ring trial including 14 laboratories from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Participating laboratories obtained aliquots of DNA isolates from a meat mixture containing 24.8% (w/w) roe deer in pork, roe deer meat, and 12 meat samples whose roe deer content was not disclosed. Performance characteristics included amplification efficiency, level of detection (LOD95%), repeatability, reproducibility, and accuracy of quantitative results. With a relative reproducibility standard deviation ranging from 13.35 to 25.08% (after outlier removal) and recoveries ranging from 84.4 to 114.3%, the real-time PCR assay was found to be applicable for the detection and quantification of roe deer in raw meat samples to detect food adulteration.

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