Development of Immunohistochemical Methods for Casein Detection in Meat Products

To increase production efficiency of meat products, milk protein additives are often used. Despite a number of advantages, use of dairy ingredients involves a certain risk, namely the allergenic potential of milk proteins. A number of methods have been developed to detect milk-origin raw materials in foodstuffs, including immunological reference methods. This study presents newly developed immunohistochemical (IHC) methods for casein detection in meat products. Casein was successfully detected directly in meat products where sensitivity was determined at 1.21 and specificity at 0.28. The results obtained from the IHC were compared with the Enzyme-Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) and there was no statistically significant difference between the IHC and ELISA methods (p > 0.05). The correspondence between the methods was 72% in total. The highest correspondence was reached in frankfurters (90%), the lowest in canned pate (44%).

Automated summary

A newly developed immunohistochemical method for casein detection in meat products was successfully implemented with a 72% correspondence rate compared to the Enzyme-Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA). The sensitivity and specificity of the method were determined to be 1.21 and 0.28 respectively, with the highest correspondence found in frankfurters at 90% and the lowest in canned pate at 44%.