Tissue and species identification in minced meat and meat products from Italian commercial markets by DNA microarray and histological approach

Adequate testing and adulterant detection of food products are required to assure its safety and avoid fraudulent activities. Adulteration/substitution of costlier meat with a cheaper or inferior meat is one of the most common fraudulence in meat industry. Aim of this study was to check the correct labelling of meat and ready to cook bovine meat products, combining the DNA microarray approach to identify the animal species with the histological examination, to check the composition and safety of meat. One hundred and one samples of bovine minced meat (Group 1) and ready to cook meat products (Group 2) were collected from supermarkets in Turin, Italy. DNA microarray revealed that 25.7% of samples were positive for species not declared on the label, swine being the most common. Histology showed the presence of cartilage, bone and glandular tissue. A higher presence of bacteria and inflammatory cells was detected in Group 1. Bacterial cells associated to inflammatory cells were detected with a higher score in Group 2. Sarcocystis spp. were present in 83.3% samples of Group 1 and 49.1% of Group 2. This study confirmed that the mislabelling of meat products is not uncommon. The combination of DNA microarrays and histology can increase the monitoring capacity in bovine meat industry.