Quantitation of Meat in Fresh and Processed Foods - An Evaluation of the use of Antibodies to the Insoluble Muscle Protein Desmin

The Food Labelling Regulations require a quantitative ingredient declaration (QUID) of a named meat species in meat products, and/or of total meat in a product. The protein desmin is considered to be a suitable target antigen for use in meat speciation and total meat determination for a number of reasons, including the fact that it is confined to muscle and is the least soluble component of muscle cells. Indeed, during the MAFF project AN0685 several hybridomas were devoloped that secreted monoclonal antibodies reactive against desmin in heated samples of all commonly used meats such as lamb, pork, beef, chicken. <p>These antibodies were not reactive with non-meat products. Desmin has been shown to exhibit some species variation between pork, chicken, and beef and whilst species-specific anti-desmin polyclonal antibodies cannot be produced, it is possible to produce species-specific monoclonal antibodies. Currently hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies that are poultry-specific and can detect heat-treated epitopes are available. These various desmin-specific antibodies could be used in immunoassays to give a quantitative estimation of the poultry/beef meat content of fresh and heated meat samples.