# Digital PCR for the Authentication of KAMUT® Brand Wheat in Grain and Flour Mixtures

## TL;DR

A new digital PCR method was developed to verify the authenticity of KAMUT® brand wheat in grain and flour mixtures.

## Contribution

A novel duplex digital PCR method was developed for authenticating KAMUT® wheat variety QK-77 in mixtures.

## Key findings

- The PCR assay was validated on pure and mixed samples of QK-77 wheat.
- The method demonstrated high sensitivity and accuracy on two digital PCR platforms.
- It can be used to quantify QK-77 in commercial grain and processed foods.

## Abstract

Food safety, quality, and traceability have become increasingly important in the agrifood industry in recent years, necessitating the use of reliable and rigorous analytical tools to ensure agrifood surveillance. This work focuses on the development and application of a new molecular approach to verify the authenticity of a specific variety of Triticum turgidum ssp. turanicum, commonly known as Khorasan wheat, which is commercially sold under the KAMUT® trademark. A method based on duplex digital PCR was developed to identify and quantify T. turanicum variety QK-77 used in KAMUT® brand products. The assay was validated on pure QK-77 variety alone and mixed with other varieties and on other cereal species. The developed PCR-based assay, tested using two digital PCR platforms (cdPCR and pdPCR), has high sensitivity and accuracy and can be applied to quantify the QK-77 variety in commercial grain lots and processed foods.