Genetic ID’s Animal Feed
and Meat Speciation Tests

New comprehensive tests detect and identify animal by-products in animal feed and determine the species of meat products, enabling clients to comply with domestic and international regulations.

In 1996, Genetic ID responded to the food industry’s need to detect genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food products. Today, Genetic ID has responded to concerns over BSE and foot-and-mouth disease by developing tests to detect specific animal tissue and blood by-products in animal feed. The tests help clients comply with current EU, Japanese, US, and other regulations prohibiting animal products in feed. These tests are also highly effective and useful for species identification of meat products and to detect adulteration of meat products with tissue from other species.

Wide range of specific animal feed tests

At Genetic ID, we have designed a wide range of primer sets and tests for PCR analyses of DNA isolated from animal feed samples. These tests include the following:

Ruminant-specific test-Selectively detects members of the ruminant family by targeting a genetic sequence that is found only in this family, which includes cows, sheep, goats, deer and elk.
Bovine-specific (beef) test-Targets a sequence unique to cattle and very closely related bovine species.
Ovine-specific (mutton) test-Targets a sequence unique to sheep and very closely related ovine species.
Porcine-specific (pork) test-Targets a sequence unique to pigs and very closely related porcine species.
Equine-specific (horse) test-Targets a sequence unique to horse/donkey and very closely related equine species.
Reindeer-specific (Rangiser tarandu) test-Targets a sequence unique to this species of reindeer.
Deer-specific (Cervus nippon) test-Targets a sequence unique to this species of deer.
Goose-Targets a sequence unique to the common goose, and that differentiates goose from chicken, duck, and turkey.
Duck-Targets a sequence unique to the common duck, and that differentiates duck from chicken, goose, and turkey.
Chicken-Targets a sequence unique to the common chicken, and that differentiates chicken from goose, duck, and turkey.
Turkey-Targets a sequence unique to the common turkey, and that differentiates turkey from chicken, duck, and goose.

NOTE: Other species-specific tests can be developed on request.

Use of both detection and confirmation primer sets assures consistent results

Each test consists of two primer sets, a detection primer set, and a confirmation primer set. The sample is initially tested with the detection primer set. A positive result with this primer set strongly indicates the presence of tissue from the species of interest. However, before results are reported to the client, a second test is done using at least one additional confirmation primer set. Only if both the detection and confirmation tests are positive will a positive result be reported to the client. Use of the confirmation primer set ensures that an initial positive result with the detection primer set is not due to unexpected cross-reactivity, but actually due to the presence of the species of interest. The second primer set can also be used to identify with greater precision the species that is responsible for the initial positive result.

Designed to meet client’s needs

The exact configuration of the test is determined by the needs of the client, and will vary from region to region, due to differences in regulatory requirements. For instance, if the client were concerned only with the presence of beef in the sample, we would carry out PCR analysis using a bovine-specific primer set. If the initial analysis indicated positive, we would confirm it by carrying out a second PCR analysis, using a second primer set that reacts with bovine DNA sequences.

On the other hand, if the client wants to test for the presence of all meat by-products, Genetic ID would first use the livestock-specific test. If positive signals resulted from this test, then we could perform further PCR tests with additional livestock-specific primers to confirm the result, or we could perform additional tests with more focused primer sets, as requested by the client, to differentiate between ruminants and non-ruminants, for instance, or to determine the exact species present.

Tests are verified and validated to ensure maximum accuracy

Genetic ID’s scientific personnel have gone to great lengths to verify the specificity of each primer set, and thus to maximize the accuracy and reliability of these tests. The specificity of each primer set has been validated on the basis of both empirical and theoretical analyses.

For each test, we start by using computer modeling to design several primer sets specific for the species of interest. Experiments are then carried out, where these primer sets are tested in the laboratory, to identify two or three that detect, with high sensitivity, the species or group of species of interest. We then run an extensive series of tests with DNA from many other species, including each of the species listed above as well as several other vertebrate species. We also run tests with DNA from other common animal feed ingredients, including corn, soy, wheat, rice, oats, barley, and E. coli bacteria (a feed contaminant). Any primer set that cross-reacts with any of these will be rejected.

However, we expect that closely related species may test positive with certain primer sets. For example, Bos taurus (cattle) specific primers may cross-react with DNA derived from other members of the Bos species.

Qualitative results and limits of detection

Results are reported qualitatively “species detected” or “species not detected.” The limit of detection of the tests varies depending on: 1. the composition of the sample, 2. the nature of the animal-derived material (i.e. tissue meal versus bone meal, versus blood meal, versus fresh tissue), 3. the manner in which the animal-derived material has been processed. For instance, animal feed ingredients are often heated to high temperatures.

The limit of detection for tissue meal in feed is generally in the range of 0.1% (dry weight basis), while blood and bone meal tend to have lower sensitivities. Blood meal has significantly lower DNA content than meat products, while bone meal varies substantially in its properties, apparently due to differences in processing methods. Thus, the limit of detection for different lots of bone meal and blood meal can range from 0.01% to 1%. In most cases, however, the limit of detection is in the 0.1% range for these products.

When used to evaluate the species of other kinds of meat products, much more sensitive limits of detection are typical, typically in the range of 0.01% to 0.1%. For more information on Genetic ID’s Animal Feed and Meat Speciation Tests, please telephone our account managers at 888-229-2011 or contact us via e-mail at info@genetic-id.com.

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