Study Duration: January =
2009 to=20
September 2009
Contractor: Central Science =
Laboratory
Background
Meat from wild boar is considered a delicacy due to its =
characteristic=20
flavour and is increasingly popular as a low fat, healthy meat. Wild =
boar meat=20
fetches a significant price premium and subsequently the potential for=20
substitution of wild boar meat with meat from domestic pigs exists. A =
robust=20
method to identify wild boar meat and differentiate it from domestic pig =
meat is=20
therefore required to enable verification of both whole meat cuts and =
meat=20
products labelled as wild boar. Such a method would also complete a =
suite of=20
exotic meat verification tests now available for use.
Research=20
Approach
Wild boar and domestic pig breeds are closely related and can only be =
distinguished from one another using highly discriminating techniques. =
This=20
project aims to assess 2 such techniques based on identifying DNA =
markers:=20
microsatellite analysis and Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction =
Fragment=20
Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis for dicrimination of wild boar =
from=20
domestic pig breeds. The developed method will be validated and transfer =
to a=20
suitable platform for routine analysis by Public Analysts will be =
investigated.=20