Recent advances in multiplex molecular techniques for meat species identification

Meat adulteration is a substantial problem in the food industry due to the increasing number of mislabeling incidents worldwide. This malpractice affects the economy, religious beliefs, and health of consumers. Thus, a variety of analytical approaches (protein-based and DNA-based) have been developed for the identification of animal species in meat products. Protein-based approaches are not suitable for distinguishing closely related species and results can be altered due to harsh processing conditions. Hence, the majority of these protein-based approaches have been superseded by more precise and sensitive DNA-based techniques. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most sensitive and specific DNA-based technique. However, the identification of a single species in a reaction is time-consuming as well as results in resources and economic loss. Multiplex techniques simultaneously detect many species in a single reaction and are advantageous over singleplex techniques. The design of multiplex primer is a complicated process and the detection is affected by many processing conditions. This review provides an overview of multiplex PCR-based detection methods for the identification of meat species. General consideration of multiplex PCR, advantages over conventional PCR, limitations, and challenges in primer designing are also reviewed.

Automated summary

Meat adulteration is a significant problem in the global food industry. The use of DNA-based multiplex PCR techniques has become popular for accurate identification of animal species in meat products, as they can simultaneously detect multiple species. However, the design and detection process of multiplex primers are affected by various factors.