Abstract Detection of pork and lard in different beef and mutton mixtures was investigated. The extracted fat was hydrolyzed and esterified to methyl esters of fatty acids, which were then analyzed on a fused silica capillary ' column coated with FFAP. Gas chromatographic analysis showed that 11,14-eicosadienoic acid (C20.2) can be used as an indicator for the presence of pork or lard in beef and mutton mixture. C20:2 is not detected in beef or mutton and is present in pork and lard. Overall composition of the fatty acids can be used for rough estimation of sample composition. Using this method, a detection limit of 1% pork in beef and mutton was reached.