In a world where the culinary preferences of countless individuals converge, meat and meat products serve as a universal delight. However, this ubiquitous demand for meat has given rise to a concerning issue - the adulteration and substitution of meat, posing significant threats to both food safety and consumer trust. We established the Meat Species Identification Laboratory (MSIL) at the ICAR - National Meat Research Institute, Hyderabad. Cutting-edge molecular methods for determining the authenticity of meat, protecting consumer health, and reviving customer confidence in the meat sector are being practiced.
The Need for Authenticity: Global Meat Scandals
The meat sector has experienced tremendous growth, with the demand for meat and meat products reaching a startling 714 billion USD and growing at an average rate of 14%. However, this growth has also been accompanied by an alarming increase in dishonest business practices, where shady individuals take advantage of the demand by mixing less expensive meats with premium pieces. This scrupulous adulteration puts food safety in danger, calls into question authenticity, and necessitates creative analytical approaches. Hence, MSIL launched numerous research projects since 2016 to develop molecular assays to combat economically motivated adulterations and food frauds in foods of animal origin.
A Stellar Line-up of Accreditations & Achievements
The creation of the NABL-accredited laboratory, compliant with ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 requirements, for detecting meat adulteration, mislabelling, and substitution using internally generated molecular biomarkers is one of MSIL's significant accomplishments. Validated assays for numerous species, including beef, buffalo, mutton, chevon, pig, horse, camel, yak, Mithun, chicken, turkey, and duck, have been successfully established within this authorized framework. The lab's increased standing as a Referral Food Laboratory under FSSAI emphasizes even more how crucial a role it plays in verifying the authenticity of meat. The laboratory's unwavering commitment paid off as its testing scopes were expanded to include a variety of animal species, the identification of wildlife meat, and Halal conformity testing (absence of porcine DNA). The laboratory's dedication to establish regulatory frameworks and maintaining meat authenticity on numerous fronts was shown by this expansion.
Legacy of Service
The laboratory's significant contribution to regulatory and forensic analysis is proof that its influence went beyond its four walls. The MSIL examined more than 380 samples (under NABL scope) in collaboration with numerous regulatory agencies and states across India, giving crucial scientific data to counteract economically motivated adulteration and animal slaughter offenses. The MSIL achieved a leading position, becoming the Lead Centre of Foods of Animal Origin Group under the NetSCoFAN initiative by FSSAI, as a recognized Referral Food Laboratory for meat and animal products. MSIL is also involved in organizing training programmes for state food safety officers and Animal Husbandry officials.
Innovations that broke down barriers
The success of MSIL is illustrated by ground-breaking inventions that overcome the problems posed by meat adulteration.
Offal Meat Detection using miRNA Assays: Through miRNA marker-based assays, the mystery of detecting offal meat in processed goods was solved. These assays made it possible to identify offal foods, such as chicken giblets, in a variety of processed goods. The creation of reliable miRNA assays and their use demonstrated the creativity of MSIL researchers.
Buffalo Adulteration Quantification with Droplet Digital PCR: A unique strategy was needed to quantify adulteration in meat & meat products. Regression models were used to measure inter-species substitutions. The researchers developed primers that would target the Melanocortin 1 receptor gene of buffalo. This innovation preserved the quality of goods made from buffalo by finding use in both dairy and meat products.
Sheep and Goat Mislabelling Detection: MSIL made it possible to identify mislabelled meat from both sheep and goats at the same time using a duplex touchdown PCR assay that targets the cytochrome B gene. To quickly accomplish this, the team also decrypted a single tube duplex real-time PCR test and then performed a melt curve analysis. This use of the assay on actual samples revealed a startling 50% mislabeling rate for these two species.
LCD DNA Macro Array for Surveillance: Beyond the lab's confines, MSIL started a city-wide investigation into traditional meat products, focusing on Hyderabad's Haleem. With unusual animals like camels creating issues for health and conservation, this surveillance revealed tendencies in mislabeling and adulteration.
Camel Meat Detection: In addition to a PCR-RFLP assay for confirmation, a unique camel species-specific primer combination targeting the mitochondrial CYTB gene was created. This development strengthened MSIL's toolkit for precisely classifying distinct meat sources.
An Honoured Legacy
A team of scientists from the ICAR-National Meat Research Institute got the renowned "Eat Right Research Team Award" and "Certificate of Appreciation" from FSSAI, capping the laboratory's unrelenting pursuit of excellence. This acknowledgment highlighted the laboratory's crucial contribution to raising food safety standards, and its benefits are being felt today thanks to ongoing analysis and research projects.
A Resounding Impact: Forging the Path Ahead
The MSIL's tireless dedication to meat authentication and safety continues to reverberate. Its cutting-edge methods, teamwork initiatives, and meticulous sample analysis are redefining food safety standards and reviving customer confidence. MSIL is constantly evolving its capabilities through diversified scopes like vegan detection and the development of CRMs. The Meat Species Identification Laboratory stands as a vanguard of integrity in a complicated world of culinary authenticity, armed with the glories of recognition and motivated by an unrelenting commitment to perfection.
(Source: ICAR-National Meat Research Institute, Hyderabad)
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