Advanced Techniques Against Meat Adulteration
摘要
As the world’s meat consumption grows, it is more important than ever to guarantee the integrity and authenticity of meat products. An overview of cutting-edge methods and recently developed technology used in the identification and avoidance of meat adulteration is given in this book chapter. The sensitivity, specificity, and scalability of conventional meat adulteration detection techniques, such as visual examination and chemical analysis, are all limited. Advanced strategies utilizing state-of-the-art analytical approaches and technology advancements have surfaced to solve these issues. The identification of species in meat products has been transformed by DNA barcoding, which also makes it possible to verify the origin of the meat and identify species substitution. High-throughput sequencing of DNA samples is made possible by next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, which also make it easier to identify adulterants at the molecular level and provide comprehensive insights into the genetic makeup of meat products. By analyzing complex mixtures of compounds in meat samples, mass spectrometry techniques—such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)—make it possible to detect contaminants, additives, and residues used for adulteration. Meat samples can be non-destructively analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, which can reveal information on the chemical makeup of the meat and identify minute alterations that may be signs of adulteration. Using imaging methods like hyperspectral imaging and microscopy, meat samples can be visually inspected for contamination or adulteration. New technologies provide innovative ways to fight meat adulteration, such as artificial intelligence (AI) devices. Large datasets can be analyzed by AI algorithms to identify possible patterns of adulteration. In summary, cutting-edge ways for preventing meat adulteration encompass a variety of strategies that include interdisciplinary cooperation, technical advancements, and cutting-edge analytical methodologies to protect consumer health and trust in the meat supply chain.