The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is investigating the use of proteomics for testing the misdescription of foods as part of its food authenticity programme.
The latest work being undertaken focuses on identifying meat species and animal tissues in meat products, said the Agency.
The need for such research has been highlighted in the past year by the activity of rogue meat traders selling cheaper types of meat under the guise of more expensive forms.
Proteomics allows the identification and quantification of peptides (protein-building blocks) in a food sample through the use of sensitive instruments known as mass spectrometers. They measure the behaviour of ions in electric and magnetic fields. A spectrum of results is produced distinguishing different ions and, thus, the different substances from which they come.
“Once specific peptides are detected they are then searched against databases of known proteins to identify the species from which the peptide originated,” said an FSA spokeswoman. “This approach is currently being assessed for detection of offal tissues, gelatine species and meat species in meat products.”
The technique was being used to assess food standards, rather than tackle food safety issues, but there was no reason why it could not be used for the latter purpose, she said. “It could potentially be used to detect any proteins that present a food safety risk.”