Rapid detection of cows' milk in sheeps' and goats' milk by a species-specific polymerase chain reaction technique

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for the specific identification of cows' milk in sheep's and goats' milk by using primers targeting the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene. The use of a forward primer complementary to a conserved DNA sequence, along with a reverse primer specific for cow, yielded a 223-bp fragment from cows' milk DNA, whereas no amplification signal was obtained in sheep's and goats' milk DNA. The technique was applied to raw, pasteurized, and sterilized milk binary mixtures of cow-sheep and cow-goat, enabling the specific detection of cows' milk with a good sensitivity threshold (0.1%). The proposed PCR assay represents a rapid and straightforward method applicable to the authentication of milk and other dairy products in routine analysis.