IDENTIFICATION OF ANIMAL SPECIES AND FOREIGN TISSUES IN READY-TO-SELL FRESH PROCESSED MEAT PRODUCTS

The demand for ready-to-eat meat products has recently increased, and routine controls are inevitable to provide food safety. Therefore, a total of 250 fresh processed beef meat products collected from local markets and restaurants in the districts of Istanbul mostly with low purchasing power were investigated by histological and biomolecular methods. Chicken tissue was found in 62 (24.8%) of the analysed samples and horse tissue was found in 2 (0.8%) samples, while pork tissue was not detected. Additionally, foreign tissues were detected in 70 (28%) of 250 samples. PCR assays combined with histological examinations can be used as an important method in establishing food safety by determining the deliberate or accidental adulterations of meat products