Meat species identification by polymerase chain reaction technique to authenticate alheiras de caça

The manufacture of traditional meat products is a long-established practice in the Northeast of Portugal, being Alheiras one of the most appreciated products. Alheiras are traditional smoked fermented sausages, mainly produced with pork and poultry meat in a mixture with bread and spices. Currently, game meat Alheiras (Alheiras de caça) are also available as very attractive meat products and prone to adulterations. To allow accurate information for consumers and avoid unfair competition among producers, it is important to develop efficient methodologies to assess meat species identification and verify the compliance with labelling