Recent advances in multiplex molecular techniques for meat species identification

Meat adulteration is a substantial problem in the food industry due to the increasing number of mislabeling incidents worldwide. This malpractice affects the economy, religious beliefs, and health of consumers. Thus, a variety of analytical approaches (protein-based and DNA-based) have been developed for the identification of animal species in meat products. Protein-based approaches are not suitable for distinguishing closely related species and results can be altered due to harsh processing conditions. Hence, the majority of these protein-based approaches have been superseded by more precise and sensitive DNA-based techniques. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most sensitive and specific DNA-based technique. However, the identification of a single species in a reaction is time-consuming as well as results in resources and economic loss. Multiplex techniques simultaneously detect many species in a single reaction and are advantageous over singleplex techniques. The design of multiplex primer is a complicated process and the detection is affected by many processing conditions. This review provides an overview of multiplex PCR-based detection methods for the identification of meat species. General consideration of multiplex PCR, advantages over conventional PCR, limitations, and challenges in primer designing are also reviewed. • The identification of meat species in meat products is an important issue, globally • Multiplex molecular methods for species identification have many advantages • Multiplex molecular techniques for meat species identification are reviewed • Design of multiplex primers is discussed with critical consideration points • Advancements have been critically reviewed based on all recent publications