Lateral flow immunoassay for sensitive detection of undeclared chicken meat in meat products

This study presents the development of an immunochromatographic test system aimed at the detection of chicken additives in meat products. It is based on sandwich-format lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) of immunoglobulins as a biomarker for species identification. The LFIA based on gold nanoparticles as a label for antispecies antibodies was used to determine chicken immunoglobulins and, accordingly, chicken meat in food products. Absence of cross-reactivity with mammalian species tested in the study confirmed high specificity of the determination. The test system showed good sensitivity and rapidity, allowing for the detection of as low as 0.063% (w/w) chicken meat in raw meat mixtures within 20 min. As a result of the testing of raw and cooked meat products, it was shown that the test system can reliably recognize specific immunoglobulins even after heat processing. The proposed assay can be recommended for rapid on-site screening control of the composition and quality of meat products.

Automated summary

This study presents the development of an immunochromatographic test system for detecting chicken additives in meat products, based on sandwich-format lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) of immunoglobulins. The LFIA using gold nanoparticles as labels showed high specificity, sensitivity, and rapid detection of chicken meat in raw meat mixtures. The assay can reliably recognize specific immunoglobulins even after heat processing, making it suitable for on-site screening control of meat product composition and quality.