IVRI develops a kit to detect the presence of beef or pork in a meat sample

Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), based at Izzatnagar Bareilly has developed a kit that can detect the presence of beef or pork in a meat sample
The 'Food Animal Species Identification Kit' has been developed by the livestock products technology division of the IVRI, which is an institute under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
The kit uses the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) method and with it, detection of 'adulteration' in meats can be easily done, IVRI scientists Rajiv Ranjan Kumar and S K Mendiratta said.
They said that often there are complaints that mutton and chicken sold in the market is 'adulterated' with buffalo meat, beef or pork.
Till now, there was no such technology in India to detect adulteration in processed meat and kits from foreign companies were generally used to identify the adulteration, the scientists said.
This kit was unveiled on December 9 on the 130th foundation day of the IVRI. The institute got this project almost three-and-half years ago, according to scientists.
To test the technique, meat samples were tested in different institutes of the ICAR, they said.
The kit uses a meat sample of 25 mg and by the DNA method, it can be easily known which animal's meat it is, the scientists said.
Food laboratories can start testing meat using this kit, and efforts are on to patent the technology, they said. 

Explore Further;

IVRI releases Live attenuated Classical Swine Fever (CSF) cell culture vaccine (Indigenous strain)  LASSICAL SWINE FEVER (CSF)  Secretary, DAHD, Shri Atul Chaturvedi says new vaccine will tide over huge shortfall in vaccine requirement across the country CSF vaccination costs to come down sharply: DG, ICAR, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra Secretary, Department of Agricultur... Read More

FAO's Committee on Agriculture focuses on how livestock sector transformation can contribute to achieving the SDGs  FAO  A farmer taking care of her cattle in Kurigram, Bangladesh. FAO Director-General calls for an integrated agri-food systems approach to better address food insecurity and malnutrition amid COVID-19The agricultural sectors and livestock farming, in p... Read More