# Detection of Mechanically Separated Meat from Pork in Meat-Containing Foods by Targeted LC-MS/MS Analysis

## TL;DR

This study introduces a new method using mass spectrometry to detect pork-based mechanically separated meat in food products, improving on previous techniques.

## Contribution

A new marker protein, protegrin-4, was identified for detecting porcine mechanically separated meat.

## Key findings

- The assay correctly classified all 182 blinded samples with 100% precision.
- The method successfully detected 5/3/1 mm porcine mechanically separated meat.
- The assay was adapted to a tripleQuad LC-MS system.

## Abstract

Microscopy and calcium analysis have proven to be inadequate for the detection of mechanically separated meat (MSM) in meat-containing foods. Therefore, a pseudo-MRM-LC-MS/MS-based bottom-up assay was developed and validated for the detection of porcine MSM. In contrast to a comparable study on MSM from poultry, the studies on porcine MSM showed that the use of cartilage/intervertebral disc material was not useful. Here, we report a new marker protein from porcine MSM, protegrin-4, which allows the detection of 5/3/1 mm MSM. The validity of the developed assay was ensured by the investigation of 182 blinded samples. After unblinding, all samples containing 5/3/1 mm MSM and all negative control samples were correctly classified (precision 100%). Furthermore, new results related to the investigation of the species specification of chicken, turkey, and pork are presented. In conclusion, LC-MS/MS-based detection of potentially undeclared use of MSM has been successfully extended from poultry to porcine MSM. Moreover, the assay was successfully transferred to a tripleQuad LC-MS system.