Detection of Meat Adulteration by PCR-RFLP: An Update

Abstract

Detection of meat species is important for religious, economic, health and traceability issues, which may lead to vetero-legal complications. There are many techniques to address the issue but DNA based methods are gaining popularity due to their specificity and sensitivity. PCR followed by RFLP analysis relies on specific restriction sites recognized by the restriction enzymes, allowing species identification based on the different patterns obtained. This will prevent adulteration of inferior quality meat into superior quality. The advantages of PCR-RFLP are related to its simplicity, relatively low cost compared with other molecular techniques, and suitability for routine analysis. In this review, application of PCR-RFLP technique for the detection of adulteration in meat and meat products including domestic, wild and fish species are discussed.