Evaluation of PCR Assay for Detection of Cow's Milk in Water Buffalo's Milk

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate, PCR-based method, for detection of cow's milk in water buffalo's It utilized primers targeting the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene. The detection limit of the evaluated PCR method was 0.5% and it was determined using model samples made from buffalo's milk containing defined percentages of cow's The method was also evaluated for its applicability for inspection of 21 market milk samples labeled milk. Ten out of the 21 examined milk samples were proven to be pure buffalo's milk; three samples were confirmed to be pure cow's milk while the remaining eight samples were mixed cow and buffalo In conclusion, the PCR assays evaluated in this study can be useful for milk inspection to detect cow's milk in water buffalo milk with a detection limit of 0.5%. Also, analysis of market milk samples revealed that adulteration of buffalo milk by mixing with cow's milk or even substitution with cow's milk is a common practice in the dairy field.