| Abstract: |
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has developed a new DNA tool that will enhance the ability to fight food fraud. It enables the entire genetic content of a food to be revealed without any prior knowledge or suspicion of what may or may not be present in that food. Being able to scan the entire DNA content of a food means “it will be difficult to substitute or hide an ingredient without being detected”, says FSAI chief executive Dr Pamela Byrne. The device, which deploys “next generation sequencing”, has successfully detected adulteration of plant ingredients, and is likely to rolled out in testing beef and poultry across the EU. The FSAI used less powerful DNA technology, known as targeted testing, to expose the 2013 horsemeat scandal. |
