Japanese firm Tanaka Precious Metals has come up with two 'easy-to-use pork detection kits' which can test both raw or cooked food materials.

These detection kits are Immunochromatographic assays using nano-sized colloidal gold particles to reveal the result. The assays allows a rapid detection of pork in food samples in a short time and at a low cost without using any special equipment or requiring skillful techniques.

In addition to food regulatory agencies and meat processors in Japan, these kits can also be widely used by manufacturers seeking to obtain widespread trust in the quality of their food products globally.

The detection kits will also be of interest to trading companies that are considering new business opportunities in the Islamic world where pork is a taboo for religious reasons. The main features of these detection kits are as follows.
 
- Assays can be performed on spot in 10 to 15 minutes.
- Assays can easily be performed anywhere as no special equipment is required.
- The assay can detect pork levels as low as 0.1 per cent in cooked food and 0.005 per cent in raw food.
- The cost per assay is much cheaper than any existing methods.
 
Existing testing methods (PCR and ELISA require special techniques and equipment, because of laborious procedures involved in sample preparation, extraction, analysis and obtaining results, and many food processors and dealers have been unable to conduct sufficient testing for their meat products.

Potential applications of the detection kits include:
 
- Sample inspection of imported processed meat products.
- Monitoring the proper cleaning procedure of the equipment used by meat processing industry.
- Quality assurance and quality control of meat products at the retail level.
- Field inspection by national and municipal government organizations for food labeling law enforcement.
 
Countries such as Malaysia and Brunei are aiming at the centralised certification, management and distribution of halal food for Islamic food markets that are expected to grow rapidly. By using these detection kits, it will facilitate the establishment of a more effective meat testing system and a reliable brand certification program.

The government of Brunei has expressed strong interest in these kits and a demonstration was recently conducted in Brunei, said a statement.-TradeArabia News Service