Adulterações na comercialização de carne bovina pelo acréscimo ou mescla intencional não declarada de carne bubalina na região metropolitana de Macapá - AP

Abstract

The identification of species in food is a subject of great interest for agricultural inspection and scientific research. Fraud by adding or replacing species violates the laws in force in Brazil and can have consequences, including economic losses and risks to public health. The buffalo is an animal of great economic importance in Brazil, belonging to the bovine family, Bubalus genus and Bubalus bubalis species, it was introduced in Brazil from the 19th century. This study aimed to verify the occurrence of fraud in the commercialization of ground meat by substituting or mixing beef with buffalo in butchers in the Metropolitan Region of Macapá (RMM). Samples of 100g of ground meat sold as bovine from 37 butchers in RMM were collected and analyzed. DNA extraction was performed by digestion with proteinase K followed by organic extraction by phenol / chloroform. Of the 37 samples analyzed, 21 (56.76%) were exclusively beef, 11 (29.73%) were buffalo meat and 05 (13.51%) were positive for beef and buffalo, being called blends. Thus, a total of 16 (43.24%) adulterated samples were detected. The developed PCR-RFLP technique demonstrated good efficiency and low economic cost.