Why is it important?
Recent scandals in the food chain have demonstrated the importance of food authenticity. Manufacturers and retailers must control their raw materials and final products to guarantee product authenticity and avoid fraud. Many products are concerned: meat products, prepared dishes (lasagne,etc.), rice (“conventional” rice and basmati rice), coffee (robusta and arabica coffees), dairy products (cheese, cream, milk, etc.), pet food and specific diets (halal, kosher, vegetarian, vegan).
Manufacturers and retailers must also control animal traces in their product. Some accidental contamination may occur at different stages in the production process and some traces of meat can also persist in the production process due to a lack of cleaning. In feed production, it is mandatory to detect the presence of ruminant DNA in processed animal proteins and identify fish species to avoid intra-species recycling (cannibalism).
PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology can detect and quantify DNA. It should be noted that the quantification of DNA depends on the type of product and only gives an estimate of content. The results can also vary according to the treatments applied to the product (physical, chemical, etc.).
How Upscience can help you?
Upscience offers innovative solutions such as targeted analysis by PCR, screening by DNA chips, identification by sequencing.