TaqMan real-time quantitative PCR for the detection of beef tallow to assess the authenticity of edible oils

For the timely detection of adulterated and inferior oils in edible oils, a highly sensitive and quick quantitative analysis technique is urgently required. In this study, a TaqMan real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction method (TaqMan qPCR) was established for the cytochrome b gene (Cyt b) in mitochondrial DNA to identify beef tallow quantitatively, which was frequently used in baked goods, hot pot flavoring because of the unique and irreplaceable flavor. The TaqMan qPCR is capable of detecting tallow mixtures having as little as 0.1% beef tallow DNA and 0.004 ng of beef tallow DNA. For the quantitative analysis of oils, a normalized ΔCq method based on Cyt b and 18S rDNA was created, which was validated on simulated oil samples with high precision and accuracy. This study offers a theoretical foundation to support the commercial viability of quantitative analysis of oils.