Improved triplex real-time PCR with endogenous control for synchronous identification of DNA from chicken, duck, and goose meat.

The authentication and labeling of meat products, concerning origins and species, are key to fair trade and to protect consumer interests in the market. We developed an improved triplex real-time PCR approach to simultaneously identify chicken, duck, and goose DNA in meat, including an endogenous control to avoid false negatives. Our method specifically detected DNA from chicken, duck, and goose, and showed no cross-reaction with DNA extracted from other meat types. The detection limits of chicken, duck, and goose DNA were 0.001-0.00025 ng, 0.0025-0.0001 ng, and 0.001-0.00001 ng, respectively, and we were able to simultaneously identify DNA from two distinct origins using as little as 0.1% of total meat weight. Our newly generated triplex real-time PCR method with endogenous control exhibited high specificity, sensitivity, and efficiency for simultaneous identification of DNA from chicken, duck, and goose in meat.