Detection of species substitution and mislabeling in Albanian meat products by identification of DNA

FATMIRA SHEHU¹, ANGELA DI PINTO², PATRIZIA MARCHETTI², MARILIA TANTILLO², BIZENA BIJO¹, ERMELINDA NEXHIPI³

¹Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, AUT,  Kodër-Kamëz, Tirana, Albania

²Department of Veterinary Medicine – University of Bari Aldo Moro – Prov. le Casamassima, Km 3 – 70010 Valenzano (Bari) – ITALY

³Department of Food Microbiology, Food Safety and Veterinary Institute “Dr. Bilal Golemi”, “Aleksandër Moisiu” No. 10, Tirana, Albania

*Corresponding author  e-mail: s_fatmira@yahoo.it        

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Abstract:

Meat species adulteration is a worldwide problem, which violates food labeling laws, constitutes economic fraud, and raises ethical, religious and food safety concern. In this study, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique is applied for the detection of meat adulterate in processed-meat products samples from Albanian markets / supermarkets. Sixty samples from meat products: 20 raw meatballs, 20 chicken sausages, 20 pork sausages, were subjected to testing. Our study revealed a high incorrect of animal species declaration and substitution of meat products. Out of 60 collected samples, 49 resulted as mislabeling cases as well as with insufficient labeling information. The results of this study emphasize the necessity of interventions by National Food Authority, applying effective control measures to assess compliance with labeling requirements in the market. Considering this study but not only we propose that DNA identification of the animal species used in meat products is one of the efficient analytical methods that can be used in our labs.

Keywords: meat products, DNA, mislabeling, substitution species