Contamination Thresholds
Many food companies have been assessing the initial recommendations of the Government’s independent review following the horsemeat crisis. The interim report by Professor Elliott, examining the integrity and assurance of food supply networks, proposes a zero tolerance to food fraud. The Food Standards Agency has also discussed setting a threshold for contamination of processed meats to help consumers choose food with confidence. During the horsemeat crisis as an interim measure a 1% action limit was set. Under consideration is a proposal that where official control samples find a content of undeclared meat species of between the equivalent of 0.1% and 1.0% (w/w) the causes should be investigated and corrective action taken by the producer. Analytically, the methods that laboratories have employed have been PCR and ELISA based techniques. Bio-Check (UK) has many years experience in this area, offers test kits based on both. We believe that these approaches, when properly validated, have the potential to fulfil such requirements. Whilst reported limits of detection for our PCR methods are 0.1% and <1% (w/w) for ELISA, work in our laboratory analysing raw meat samples has achieved detection equivalent to 0.1% (w/w) with ELISA based procedures as well.