Beef Meat Products Research Articles

Contribution of Beef, Mutton, and Poultry Meat Production to the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product of Pakistan Using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag Bounds Testing Approach

Meat is considered an important nutrient of human’s life to gain energy. It accounts as a significant portion of the typical diet in the globe and provides vitamins, minerals, protein, and fats, which are important and have a beneficial effect on the well-being. The major aim of this article is to investigate and explore the association between beef, mutton, poultry meat production, and agricultural gross domestic product in Pakistan. An Augmented Dickey–Fuller unit root test was applied to check the variables’ stationarity, while an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to cointegration was used to investigate the association among the study variables. Furthermore, a forecasting technique was used to project the future production of beef, mutton, and poultry meat in Pakistan. Study results demonstrated the long-standing associations amid the variables. In the long-run analysis, the coefficient of beef production showed a positive effect on the agricultural gross domestic product, while the coefficients of mutton production and poultry meat production showed a nonsignificant association with the agricultural gross domestic product of Pakistan. By applying the ARDL bounds testing approach to cointegration that examines the association between agricultural gross domestic product, beef, mutton, and poultry meat production in Pakistan makes the present study distinctive.

Species – specific PCR test for the quick recognition of equine tissue in raw and processed beef meat mixtures

Abstract PCR was applied for the discovery of adulteration of crude and processed beef meat with horse and donkey tissue. This was performed by blending (w/w) horse or donkey meat to beef meat in an extent up to 1:10000 (0.01%). The sensitivity was resolved as high as 0.01%. All used primers showed specificity in the PCR reactions utilizing layout DNAs from three animal species. PCR application on 96 beef meat and meat product samples gathered randomly from street vendors and prominent retail markets (24 of burger, 16 of minced meat, 24 of kofta, 16 of sausage, 7 of raw meat and 9 of launcheon) uncovered 6 positive for donkey tissue (3 from sausage, 2 from minced meat and 1 from kofta) and 2 positive for horse tissue (from sausage). This basic PCR strategy effectively distinguished adulteration of raw and processed beef meat samples with horse and donkey tissue. This work also highlights on the severity of the meat adulteration problem in Egypt.

Karakteristik Fermentasi Rumen In vitro dengan Penambahan Sabun Kalsium Minyak Nabati pada Buffer yang Berbeda

Canola oil and flaxseed oil are vegetable oils as potential sources of unsaturated fatty acid that could improve the production and quality of beef meat. However, the use of vegetable oils need to be protected to avoid biohydrogenation by rumen bacteria. The research was aimed to analyse effect of flaxseed/canola oils calcium soap in the different buffer media on in vitro fermentation characteristic. The experiment was conducted in a factorial randomized block design with 2 factors and 3 blocks based on rumen sampling time. The first factor was sources of vegetable oils (canola and falxseed) and the second factor was type of buffer (Kajikawa and Mc.Dougall). Variables observed were pH value, N-NH3 concentration, total volatile fatty acid (VFA), dry matter and organic matter digestibility. Data obtained was analysed using Analysis of Variance and any significant different further tested using Duncan Multiple Range Test. The results showed that there was no interaction between sources of diet and buffer. Supplementation of canola and flaxseed oils protected by calcium soap at level 6% did not affect pH value, dry matter digestibility, rumen protozoa and total bacteria. The use of different buffers affected pH value, dry matter digestibility, rumen protozoa and total bacteria. It’s concluded that the used of flaxseed oil or canola oil calcium soap did not alter rumen fermentation and McDougall buffer could improve in vitro fermentation activity compare to Kajikawa buffer.

Antybiotykooporność izolowanych z żywności bakterii z rodziny Enterobacteriaceae

The aim of this study was to analyse the susceptibility of Enterobacteriaceae strains isolated from food to antibiotics used in human therapy. The tests were conducted on 433 samples of raw and processed meat intended for sale. A total of 114 strains belonging to Enterobacteriaceae were isolated by the classical bacteriological technique. Escherichia, Klebsiella, Serratia, Enterobacter, Proteus, Hafnia, Citrobacter, Salmonella and Shigella were cultured from samples of beef, pork, poultry and ready-made meat products. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested by the mean of E-tests for the following antibiotics: piperacillin, piperacillin with tazobactam, cefotaxime, cefuroxime, imipenem, ceftazidime, gentamycin, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim with sulfamethoxazole. Over 37% of the strains isolated were resistant to some of these antibiotics, and 34% showed resistance to at least 2 of them. Resistance was observed most frequently to cephalosporins, penicillins and trimethoprim with sulfamethoxazole, which may suggest that these antibiotics are used excessively in veterinary medicine.

Seasonality and zoonotic foodborne pathogens in Canada: relationships between climate and Campylobacter, E. coli and Salmonella in meat products.

Infections due to Campylobacter, Escherichia coli and Salmonella pose a significant health burden in Canada, resulting in major costs to the health care system and economic impacts due to lost productivity resulting from illness. Recent literature suggests that climate may play a role in the prevalence of these pathogens along the food chain. This study used integrated surveillance data to examine associations between weather variables, serving as a proxy for climate, in agricultural areas and Campylobacter, generic E. coli and Salmonella contamination on samples of beef, poultry and swine meat products in Canada. Various temperature metrics (average, maximum and variability) were correlated with Campylobacter prevalence along the food chain. The prevalence of E. coli and Salmonella was correlated with both precipitation and temperatures metrics; however, analysis for E. coli was limited to beef and swine meats at retail settings, because prevalence in other combinations approached 100%, which obviated further analysis. Campylobacter contamination in poultry and swine at abattoir and retail settings demonstrated a seasonal trend, with increased prevalence generally from June or July through November, compared to the baseline month of December. Based on these analyses, Campylobacter is the most likely foodborne bacteria studied whose occurrence in meat products is affected by climatic changes in Canada. An exploratory analysis of data at the provincial scale, using Ontario as an example, revealed similar directional relationships between climate and bacterial prevalence.

Assessment of Microbial Populations in the Manufacture of Vacuum-Packaged Ready-to-Eat Roast Beef and in a Related Production Plant

Some microbiological criteria were monitored for 6 months in vacuum-packaged roast beef (15 production batches), raw beef (10 batches), and other meat products (12 batches) produced in an Italian small to medium-size enterprise. Fifty-five environmental swab samples also were analyzed. The main bacterial groups were identified by cultural methods according to International Organization for Standardization standards. Listeria monocytogenes was enumerated with the most-probable-number protocol, and species identification was confirmed with a specific PCR assay. Immediately after vacuum packaging, all ready-to-eat (RTE) products had low mean aerobic colony counts (<102 to 2.4 × 102 CFU g-1), anaerobic colony counts (1.6 to 6.5 × 101 CFU g-1), Enterobacteriaceae counts (1.1 to 1.4 × 101 CFU g-1), and Escherichia coli counts (generally below the detection limit). Nevertheless, the prevalence of L. monocytogenes in these samples was 3.7%. In roast beef samples, the aerobic and anaerobic colony counts reached unacceptable levels (>106 CFU g-1) after 14 days of refrigerated storage. Because the prevalence of L. monocytogenes increased to 13.3% during storage, a substantial reduction in the shelf life of these products is recommended. Surfaces without direct contact with food (floors and drains) had the highest mean counts for aerobic colonies (8.0 × 103 to 9.5 × 105 CFU/cm2), anaerobic colonies (2.9 × 103 to 3.2 × 104 CFU/cm2), Enterobacteriaceae (1.5 × 101 to 8.4 × 101 CFU/cm2), and E. coli (6.0 to 7.7 CFU/cm2). The levels of L. monocytogenes on direct food contact surfaces were below the detection limit, but more than 25% of floor samples were contaminated. These results reveal the persistence of L. monocytogenes in food processing environments, although at very low levels, posing a high risk of postcooking recontamination for RTE products. To improve hygienic conditions and reduce cross-contamination, an increase in operator awareness and a reassessment of surface sanitization protocols are needed.

Evaluation of Agricultural Policy and Practice Of Turkey Beef Meat Production and Foreign Trade in Last 25 Years

Gelişmiş toplumların beslenme biçimleri incelendiğinde hayvansal protein tüketiminin gelişmemiş toplumlara göre oldukça fazla olduğu görülmektedir. Yeterli miktarda protein tüketebilmek beslenme anlamında bir gelişmişlik göstergesidir. Ulusların yeterli miktarda protein alımı içeren beslenme düzenlerine sahip olması ise bu alandaki tarımsal politikalar ve bu politikaların uygulamaları ile doğrudan ilişkilidir. Türkiye’de kişi başına hayvansal protein tüketimi gelişmiş ülkelerin oldukça gerisinde kalmaktadır. Bunun temel sebebi ise kırmızı et üretim ve dış ticaret politikalarının doğru belirlenememesi veya uygulanamamasıdır. Kırmızı et üreticisi ve tüketicisi bu aksaklıklardan doğrudan etkilenmektedir. Bu nedenle, bu çalışmanın amacı Türkiye’nin son 25 yıllık döneminde sığır eti üretim ve dış ticaretinde belirlenen ve uygulanan politikaların irdelenmesidir. Çalışmada resmi raporlar ve akademik çalışmalardan alınan veriler derlenmiştir. Sığır eti üretimi yıllar itibari ile incelendiğinde mevcut tüketim düzeyinde yeterli görülmektedir. Fakat Türkiye’de kırmızı et tüketimi gelişmiş ülkelerin gerisindedir. Buna göre daha yüksek bir tüketim düzeyi için mevcut sığır üretiminin de yetersiz kaldığı görülmektedir. Dış ticaret verileri incelendiğinde, 2010 yılında başlayan sığır eti ithalatın uzun vadede tüketici fiyatlarında düşüşün aksine fiyat düzeyinde artışa sebep olduğu görülmüştür. Artan girdi maliyetleri ve ithalat yerli sığır yetiştiricilerinin önünde duran en büyük engellerdir. Buna göre; Türkiye’nin sığır eti ihtiyacının karşılanması yerli üreticiyi destekleyecek politikaların güçlendirilmesi yolu ile yapılmalıdır. Et Balık Kurumu et işleme kapasitesini nüfusun ihtiyacını karşılayacak şekilde genişletmeli ve tekrar piyasa üzerinde aktif rol oynar hale getirilmelidir.

Hayvansal Ürün Üretimi ve Devlet Destekleri Arasındaki İlişki: Türkiye Üzerine Zaman Serisi İncelemesi

Çalışma hayvansal ürün üreticilerine verilen devlet destekleri ile ürünlerin üretim miktarı arasındaki ilişkiyi süt ve dana eti örneğinde incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu amaçla Türkiye için, 1986-2016 yılları arası veriye dayanarak süt ve dana eti için ayrı ayrı denklemlerle hata düzeltme modelleri tahmin edilmiştir. Eşbütünleme ilişkisinden kısa dönem Granger nedensellik ilişkilerine bakıldığında, süt üretim denkleminde değişkenler arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir nedensellik ilişkisi bulunamamıştır. Dana eti üretim denkleminde ise tüm değişkenler arasında çift yönlü Granger anlamda nedensellik bulunmuştur. Uzun dönem katsayılar incelendiğinde, süt üretim seviyesi ile piyasa fiyat farklılaşması arasında negatif, üretici destekleri ile pozitif bir ilişki bulunmaktadır. Öte yandan dana eti üretimi ile piyasa fiyat farklılaşması arasında pozitif ancak üretici destekleri ile negatif bir ilişki bulunmaktadır. Bulgular gerek parasal üretici desteklerinin gerekse de parasal destek dışındaki dış ticaret düzenlemesi gibi politikaların ürün türüne göre farklılaştırılması gerektiği düşüncesini desteklemektedir. Jel Kodu: Q10, Q18, Q28, H20

Prevalence of Clostridium difficile Isolated from Beef and Chicken Meat Products in Turkey.

The concern about the possibility of food can be a vehicle for the transmission of Clostridium difficile to humans has been raised recently due to the similarities among the strains isolated from patients, foods and food animals. In this study, therefore, the prevalence of C. difficile was investigated in beef and chicken meat products collected from 57 different butcher shops, markets and fast food restaurants in Sakarya province of Turkey. Two out of 101 samples (1.98%) was positive for C. difficile indicating a very low prevalence. The pathogen was isolated from an uncooked meatball sample and a cooked meat döner sample, whereas not detected in chicken meat samples. The meatball isolate was resistant to vancomycin and tetracycline, while the cooked meat döner isolate was resistant to vancomycin and metronidazole. Both isolates were sensitive to moxifloxacin and clindamycin. Toxins A and B were not detected. This study reveals the presence of C. difficile in further processed beef products in Turkey.

Microbiological Assessment of Raw Meat Used in Fast-Food Products Sold for Public Consumption

Raw meat contains sufficient nutrients to support microbial growth and because of that the proper surveillance of the meat products destined for public consumption is mandatory. The purpose of this study was to conduct a microbiological risk assessment regarding the safety of pork, chicken and beef meat products found in fast –food units from Transylvania area. One hundred and seventy samples of raw meat(n=35) and fried foods made of pork(n=39), chicken(n=45)and beef products(n=51) were purchased randomly from 5 different fast-food units located in the study area.The determination performed in order to assess the safety was the total number of Enterobacteriaceae, evaluation of toxigenic E. coli and Salmonella spp. presence, which is also the parameter requested by the current regulation. The levels of contamination with Enterobacteriaceae that exceeded the current legislation limit were 6/39 (15%), 6/45 (13%) and 5/51 (9%) in cooked pork, chicken and respectively beef meat. Given the similar rate of contaminations among these three categories of food there were no statistical differences noticed (p&gt;0.05). Results showed that in 35 of 170 (20%) collected food samples were found total Enterobacteriaceae count over 3 log CFU/g and 12 of 170 (7%) were found with coliform bacteria. Raw meat destined for fast-food industry can represent a risk for public health if hygiene and refrigerating conditions are not properly monitored.

Water footprinting of pasture-based farms; beef and sheep

In the context of water use for agricultural production, water footprints (WFs) have become an important sustainability indicator. To understand better the water demand for beef and sheep meat produced on pasture-based systems, a WF of individual farms is required. The main objective of this study was to determine the primary contributors to freshwater consumption up to the farm gate expressed as a volumetric WF and associated impacts for the production of 1 kg of beef and 1 kg of sheep meat from a selection of pasture-based farms for 2 consecutive years, 2014 and 2015. The WF included green water, from the consumption of soil moisture due to evapotranspiration, and blue water, from the consumption of ground and surface waters. The impact of freshwater consumption on global water stress from the production of beef and sheep meat in Ireland was also computed. The average WF of the beef farms was 8391 l/kg carcass weight (CW) of which 8222 l/kg CW was green water and 169 l/kg CW was blue water; water for the production of pasture (including silage and grass) contributed 88% to the WF, concentrate production – 10% and on-farm water use – 1%. The average stress-weighted WF of beef was 91 l H2O eq/kg CW, implying that each kg of beef produced in Ireland contributed to freshwater scarcity equivalent to the consumption of 91 l of freshwater by an average world citizen. The average WF of the sheep farms was 7672 l/kg CW of which 7635 l/kg CW was green water and 37 l/kg CW was blue water; water for the production of pasture contributed 87% to the WF, concentrate production – 12% and on-farm water use – 1%. The average stress-weighted WF was 2 l H2O eq/kg CW for sheep. This study also evaluated the sustainability of recent intensification initiatives in Ireland and found that increases in productivity were supported through an increase in green water use and higher grass yields per hectare on both beef and sheep farms.

Detection and quantification of offal content in ground beef meat using vibrational spectroscopic-based chemometric analysis

As less consumed animal by-product, beef and pork offal have chances to sneak into the authentic ground beef meat products, and thus a rapid and accurate detection and quantification technique is highly required. In this study, Fourier transformed-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was investigated to develop an optimized protocol for analyzing ground beef meat potentially adulterated with six types of beef and pork offal. Various chemometric models for classification and quantification were constructed for the collected FT-IR spectra. Applying optimized chemometric models, FT-IR spectroscopy could differentiate authentic beef meat from adulterated samples with >99% accuracy, to identify the type of offal in the sample with >80% confidence, and to quantify five types of offal in an accurate manner (R2 > 0.81). An optimized protocol was developed to authenticate ground beef meat as well as identify and quantify the offal adulterants using FT-IR spectroscopy coupled with chemometric models. This protocol offers a limit of detection <10% w/w of offal in ground beef meat and can be applied by governmental laboratories and food industry to rapidly monitor the integrity of ground beef meat products.

Određivanje sadržaja nitrita i teških metala u mesu i proizvodima od mesa

The improvement of living standards has a significant impact on food and food production. Meat and meat products, due to their high nutritional value, are an important segment of human nutrition and a rich source of elements such as Fe, Zn, Mn, Ca, K, Mg. On the other hand, meat can accumulate heavy metals such as Cd and Pb. Toxic metal concentrations in the muscles are rare, but the liver and kidneys have an ability of accumulation. Nitrites are very important in the meat industry as additives and preservatives, but downside effects of nitrite addition are the development of toxic and carcinogenic nitrosoamine. In monitoring the quality of meat and meat products, it is important to keep track of metal content, but also the residual concentration of nitrite. The aim of this study was to determine the content of Cd, Cu, Fe, and Zn in samples of pork and beef meat and pig liver and the content of nitrites in samples of pork and beef meat and meat products - patches and sausages. Metals were determined using the ICP-AES method and nitrate by the standard method SRPS ISO 2918/1999. The content of iron in the liver, pork and beef meat is 189.2 μg / kg, 89.78 μg / kg and 87.79 μg / kg respectively. The content of Cu and Zn in all tested samples is below MAC values, and Cd in pork meat sample is 1.2 times more than MAC values. The content of nitrite is below the MAC values and represents the residual concentration of these compounds.

Analiza kvaliteta trupova mladih bikova simentalske rase prema EU standardu

Domestic spotted cattle of Simmental breed with a combined production capacity is mostly grown in the Republic of Serbia. Considering the Serbia's potential and tradition in production of quality beef meat as food for human consumption and raw material in the food industry and the demand of the EU market, imposes the need for changing the present and adopting new regulations. The quality of the slaughtered animals is a subject of interest, of both primary production and meat industry. Procedure of classification of carcasses is performed in slaughterhouses immediately after a veterinary examination and measurement of carcasses weight. This paper examines the quality of young cattle carcasses in a slaughterhouse in the Raska district, according to the standard applied in the EU but not in Republic of Serbia. Examination has been conducted on 80 cattle carcasses (young bulls) weighing 450 - 550 kg. For the quality evaluation and grading of meat the following parameters according to the European standard for the classification of cattle carcasses (SEUROP) were used: weight of the animal, the category of a slaughtered animal according to the age and physiological state, slaughter weight / carcass weight and randman, i.e. the conformation of the carcass, development of the muscles of the carcass as well as the development of basic parts (leg, back and shoulder) and the degree of carcass fat tissue coverage.

Quality Assurance of Meat and Poultry products using Advanced Biotechnological Methods

Nowadays, meat adulteration constitutes an important problem in Egypt. Adulteration causes many problems that need to be considered as economic issues arising from replacement of high commercial value meat species with cheaper or undesired meats, religious issues as pork meat prohibited for Muslims and allergic reactions arising from consumption of some special meats as equine meat species and others. The current study includes a surveillance study aimed to detect the adulteration of beef and poultry meat products with equine and or pork meat species in Damanhur city, El Behera Governorate, Egypt. Over a limited period of one year from February, 2015 to February, 2016, A total of 156 samples of meat and chicken products were collected and divided into two groups; Group (A) includes 96 packaged high brands of three meat processing plants including beef luncheon, burger and kofta (18 samples each), chicken luncheon (18), chicken burger (12) and chicken kofta (12) and Group (B) includes 60 non-packaged low brand samples of beef luncheon, burger, kofta, minced meat and sausage(6 samples each) and chicken luncheon, burger, kofta, minced meat and sausage (6 samples each) from meat shops. All samples were analyzed for detection of adulteration with equine and/or pork meat by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique using specific primers for equine and pork species. The obtained result revealed that adulteration rate of processed meat products with equine meat species was found to be 3.2 % (5 positive samples out of 156 examined samples) so it was recommended that rapid movement of responsible authorities with cooperation with scientific academies to protect health of consumers and prevent illegal substitution of meat.

Identification of Animal Species and Foreign Tissues in Ready-to-Sell Fresh Processed Meat Products

The demand for ready-to-eat meat products has recently increased, and routine controls are inevitable to provide food safety. Therefore, a total of 250 fresh processed beef meat products collected from local markets and restaurants in the districts of Istanbul mostly with low purchasing power were investigated by histological and biomolecular methods. Chicken tissue was found in 62 (24.8%) of the analysed samples and horse tissue was found in 2 (0.8%) samples, while pork tissue was not detected. Additionally, foreign tissues were detected in 70 (28%) of 250 samples. PCR assays combined with histological examinations can be used as an important method in establishing food safety by determining the deliberate or accidental adulterations of meat products.

Consumption Patterns and Consumer Attitudes to Beef and Sheep Meat in China

This review paper provides an overview of the meat production status in China and Chinese consumer requirements with respect to red meat, especially for beef and sheep meat. The analysis of meat output, consumption and price indicates that the production and consumption of beef and sheep meat has increased in China, and the price of meat has risen significantly as the consumption requirements have risen. The quantity and quality requirements of Chinese consumers in terms of beef and sheep meat are different between urban and rural residents and regions, and are influenced by price, income, religious beliefs, flavor, nutritional value, dietary habits, safety and eating quality. The demand for high quality and the concern with respect to the safety of beef and sheep meat by Chinese consumers is increasing, but there are gaps between the requirements and the supply, despite the increased the importation of beef and sheep meat. Lastly, the paper outlines what the meat industry and researchers should do to promote the strength of Chinese meat industry, and gives guidance to exporting countries with respect to the quality Chinese consumers are likely to expect in the future.

Detection of Microbial Contamination of Processed Beef Meat by Using API Strips and Automated Vitek 2 Compact System

Aims: Food safety is a complex issue, where animal proteins such as meats, meat products, and fish and fishery products are generally regarded as high risk commodity with pathogenic microrganisms. The present study was conducted to evaluate microbial contamination of beef meat products; minced meat, sausage, beef burger and Shawerma in supermarkets and cafeterias in Khartoum towns. Study Design: Fifteen samples of minced meat, 12 samples of beef burger, 12 samples of sausage and 12 samples of Shawerma were collected randomly at Khartoum State (Khartoum, Omdurman and Bari towns markets) during the period from October 2011-August 2012 and examined for bacterial contamination. Methodology: Primary culturing of the samples were conducted onto blood agar plates and the

Prevalencia de Clostridium perfringens en carnes y embutidos comercializados en Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Este es un estudio de tipo cualitativo-descriptivo realizado con el objetivo de evaluar la calidad microbiológica de diferentes productos cárnicos, entre estos carne fresca molida de res o cerdo, embutidos procesados industrialmente como mortadela, jamón, salchichas, copetines, etc. y también de productos embutidos procesados artesanalmente como el chorizo criollo.Se recolectaron 106 muestras en diferentes mercados y supermercados de la capital durante los meses de noviembre de 2012 a abril de 2013. Las muestras fueron analizadas por el método de recuento en placa para obtener el número de unidades formadoras de colonia por gramo de muestra (UFC/g) de Clostridium perfringens. Además se realizó el ensayo PET-RPLA para la detección de la enterotoxina causante de toxiinfección alimentaria.Los resultados del análisis demuestran una prevalencia significativa (36.8 %), especialmente en los productos obtenidos en los mercados de la capital (52.7 %). De estos, los que presentaron los mayores recuentos fueron las carnes frescas y los embutidos artesanales, con niveles de hasta 1 X 105 ufc/g y 8.9 X 103 ufc/g, respectivamente. De acuerdo a estos resultados concluimos que estos productos representan un riesgo para la salud de los consumidores por cuanto la contaminación encontrada excede por mucho los valores de referencia consultados (102/g).Revista Ciencia y Tecnología, N° 15, diciembre 2014: 59-70

Mislabelling of beef and poultry products sold in Malaysia

Meat species specification is important for consumer protection and increases concern in food labelling regulations enforcement. Although regulations exist for processed meat products, information on the prevalence of meat products mislabelling and regulatory compliance in Malaysia is lacking. In this study, 143 prepacked (beef and poultry) meat products (sausages, cold cut meats, cooked whole muscle meats, breaded products, meatballs and ground meats) were purchased from several national and international supermarket chains in Malaysia. These samples were analysed for the presence of common meat species (buffalo, cattle, chicken, goat, sheep, duck and goose) and meats prohibited by Islamic laws (“Haram”) (cat, dog, monkey, pig and rat) using species-specific primers. The results showed that 112 (78.3%) samples were mislabelled, attributed by the false declaration of species and/or presence of undeclared meat species. The mislabelled products consisted of 17/28, 3/4, 6/8, 19/25, 48/56, and 19/22 of sausage, cold cuts, cooked whole muscle meat, breaded product, ground meat, and meatball samples, respectively. Buffalo DNA was detected in 40 out of the 58 samples labelled as beef. The presence of undeclared chicken and buffalo DNA were detected in 33/58 and 62/84 of beef and chicken products, respectively. The five “Haram” meat sources, however, were not detected in all meat products tested. The presence of chicken or buffalo DNA in these products could be attributed to unintentional cross contamination from food processing equipment, especially meat grinder, and lack of proper cleaning or inadequate hygiene. In conclusion, this study shows that majority of the samples are not legally compliant, signifying that substitution and mislabelling of meat products are commonplace in Malaysia. Strict implementation of the Malaysia Food Regulations 1985 alongside with regular surveillance and monitoring programmes are compulsory to alleviate and deter mislabelling issues.