Detection of Pork in Canned Meat Products by using DNA-based Methods

Abstract

Adulteration of meat products became a matter of great concerns of religious, economical, legal and hygienic
aspects. Canned meat is one of the most favorable in a lot of countries, which makes it prone to adulteration.
The objective of the current study was to identify pork in canned meat for the presence of adulteration in
commercial market of Basrah city/Iraq. Thirty canned meat were collected from commercial market. The
possibility of a species mixture was tested with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), targeting pork (290bp).
Analysis of canned meat revealed negativity results of all samples to pork meat. In conclusion, samples
analysed in the current study showed that there was no adulteration by mixing pork meat in canned meat
products due to absent production of pork flesh for religion and hygienic aspects. Beef and mutton flesh
might be replaced in chicken, horse, and donkey flesh for economic reason.