Review of testing for foreign horse and pig DNA in meats in Croatia

Abstract

Several years after the food industry scandal when horsemeat was found in products sold in Europe as beef products in 2013, Croatia began testing food for the presence of foreign protein. For the time being, these tests are not part of routine monitoring, but the result of examining the situation on the market in the city of Zagreb. Namely, in recent years, central Croatia has been trying to establish itself as a tourist destination, and Zagreb hosted hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world before the COVID-19 pandemic. The eating habits of the various groups that came to Zagreb were different, and the larger hotel chains recognized the seriousness of the services and sought help to ensure that the food offered was consistent with their declarations and would not conflict with religious requirements. One of these requirements was the testing for foreign proteins such as horse and pork in foods where they were not declared. Although horse and pork are safe for human consumption, they are not part of the eating habits in all countries. The Dr. Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute for Public Health introduced methods for detection of horse and pig DNA in food samples.