Quantification of beef, pork, chicken and turkey proportions in sausages: use of matrix-adapted standards and comparison of single versus multiplex PCR in an interlaboratory trial

Quantitative PCR methods for the determination of beef, pork, chicken and turkey proportions in sausage were tested in an interlaboratory trial. Twelve different laboratories analysed six meat products each made of different compositions of beef, pork, chicken and turkey. Two kinds of calibrators were used: sausages of known proportions of meat and DNA from muscle tissue. Results generated using calibration sausages were more accurate than those resulting from the use of muscle tissue DNA. Regardless of the method used (either multiplex or single PCR), when using calibration sausages, it was always possible to quantify the proportions of meats in the unknown samples (in the range of 0.5-80%) with high precision and accuracy.