| Abstract
| - This research developed and evaluated a PCR procedure to detect beef in heated and unheatedmeat, sausages, and canned food, using a specific and sensitive method. To confirm the effectivenessand specificity of this fragment, we tested 45 cattle blood DNA samples (from different breeds) andobtained positive results. With 125 samples tested from other species, the specific beef amplificationwas not detected. Feed components intended for cattle nutrition were also checked, and bovine-derived material was detected. Using this method we can detect the degree of contamination up to0.01% raw beef in pork. In the same way, 1% beef was detected in cooked meat mixtures and bovine-derived material in concentrate mixtures. Beef has been identified in both heated and unheated meatproducts, sausages, canned food, and hamburgers. In conclusion, specific PCR amplification of arepetitive DNA element seems to be a powerful technique for the identification of beef in processedand unprocessed food, because of its simplicity, specificity and sensitivity. Furthermore, feedcomponents intended for cattle nutrition can be checked. The procedure is also much cheaper thanother methods based on RFLPs-PCR, immunodiffusion, and other techniques that need expensiveequipment. Keywords: Cattle; food misinformation; species; feed; beef
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