Multiplex real-time PCR for the detection and quantification of DNA from chamois, roe, deer, pork and beef

Meat originating from roe, deer and especially chamois is expensive. Normally, such delicacies are provided directly by hunters and exclusively during the hunting season. In some cases, either to achieve higher profit or to enable total availability over a longer period, producers may keep only a low proportion of such meat in mixtures or even replace it completely by a less pricey meat product. Food control laboratories need sensitive, reliable, fast and easily applicable laboratory methods to detect such fraudulent practices and confirm species authenticity. We therefore developed a real-time PCR pentaplex using proven primers to detect simultaneously the presence of expensive species (roe, deer and chamois) and the potentially added meat from cheaper farm animals like pork and beef. In this context, we present the validation data for the quantitative determination of all five species in a multiplex real-time PCR. The measurement uncertainty was estimated to be 20%. A ring trial showed the robustness and practicability of this system. Market samples were analysed as well showing the applicability of this system to real-life samples.