JGU Develops DNA Test for Food

Scientists at the Institute of Molecular Genetics, Genetic Security Research and Consulting at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany have adapted DNA sequencing to develop a procedure that provides for highly sensitive, quantifiable analysis of animal, plant, and microbial substances present in foodstuffs.
"The innovative aspect in comparison with conventional DNA detection methods such as polymerase chain reaction, or PCR for short, is that by means of bioinformatic analysis of all biological DNA data available worldwide we can identify the presence of material from species that we would not otherwise expect. And, using a simple digital method of counting short snippets of DNA, we will also probably be able to determine the relative incidence of individual species-related material more precisely than was previously the case," explained molecular geneticist Professor Dr. Thomas Hankeln, who developed the method in collaboration with bioinformaticist Professor Bertil Schmidt. Ph.D. and colleagues at the German and Swiss food control authorities.

In pilot studies the method - dubbed 'All-Food-Seq' - by its developers, detected a 1% content of horse meat in products with a high level of precision, along with traces of added mustard, lupin, and soy used as a calibration test that could also be of interest with regard to allergy testing of foods.

"This method is very interesting in connection with efforts to promote the molecular traceability of food," said Hermann Broll of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Berlin and Dr. René Köppel of the Zurich Cantonal Laboratory in Switzerland. The method developed by the Mainz scientists is to be validated in comparison with conventional detection techniques in the near future.