Polymerase chain reaction for the detection of allergens: the case of soybean in processed meat products

In this work, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used for soybean detection in processed meat products. The methodology was optimized using reference binary samples with different known percentages of pork meat and soybean protein, prepared in the laboratory. To evaluate the effect of thermal treatment, binary mixtures were submitted to thermal treatment at 121ºC for 5 min. The species-specific PCR targeting the lectin gene allowed the detection limit of 0.01 ng of soybean DNA in raw materials. The PCR method was successfully applied on 18 commercial Frankfurt sausages.

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