Detecting Non-Bovine Meat in Beef Patties by Dry Extract Spectroscopy by Infrared Reflection—A Preliminary Model Study

Abstract

Meat producers can profit by mixing meat from low cost species into more expensive meat, e.g. beef, without stating this on the product label. Consumers want to know the origin of the meat they eat, e.g. to avoid meat from certain animal species. Consequently, a fast and reliable method to identify the animal species in meat mixtures is needed. The technique Dry Extract Spectroscopy by Infrared Reflection (DESIR), modified from Dr. M. Meurens, was used in this model study, as a method to measure the amounts of lamb, mechanically recovered poultry, and/or pork mixed into ground bovine meat.