Hamburger meat identification by dot-ELISA

The use of low cost meats to adulterate meats and meat products has been reported. Appropriate methods of analysis then are needed in order to detect this practice. The dot-ELISA method was used to identify the meat of different animal species and to detect adulteration of hamburgers. Antisera to bovine, chicken, swine and horse albumin were produced and they could detect the meat extract of the homologous species at concentrations as low as 0.6%. Thus, the anti-albumin antisera could identify bovine, chicken, swine and horse meat with adequate specificity and sensitivity both in isolation and when added to hamburger. Commercial samples of bovine, chicken and swine hamburgers showed no adulteration with bovine, chicken, swine or horse meats. Our expectation of hamburger adulteration was not confirmed.