Improving fraud detection in processed meats: A histology–PCR approach

Abstract

Food fraud is a growing global concern that involves intentional actions aimed at deceiving consumers for financial gain by misrepresenting food products. Adulteration, substitution, mislabeling, and tampering are among the deceptive practices that can alter food products' nutritional value and composition. While various techniques, including mass spectrometry, enzyme immunoassay, histology, and DNA-based analysis, have been employed to detect food adulteration, each method has its limitations. This study presents a novel approach that combines PCR-based techniques with histology analysis to improve the detection of food adulteration in processed meats. The investigation involved the analysis of 105 randomly selected samples of sausages and beef hams in Iran using histological and PCR techniques. The results showed that 55 % of the beef ham samples and 66.15 % of the sausage samples contained unauthorized tissues. The multiplex PCR tests confirmed that 20 % of the beef ham samples and 0 % of the sausage samples had undeclared meat. Therefore, including histology as an additional method was necessary to accurately identify undeclared tissues from the same species. The findings suggest that the combined application of PCR-based and histology-based methods can effectively identify fraudulent practices within the food industry. This approach can enhance the detection of food adulteration and provide strong evidence for regulatory authorities to take necessary actions to protect consumer rights and promote food safety.