QUANTITATIVE DETECTION OF ADULTERATION OF VARIOUS PROCESSED MEAT PRODUCTS WITH SOYBEAN PROTEIN BASED ON DIFFERENT HISTOLOGICAL METHODS

Abstract

Egypt’s meat producers produce a variety of meat brands that used soybean proteins because of high meat pricing. Allergens have been discovered in products that were not declared allergen-free. A total of 540 samples were obtained at random from various food supermarkets in Sohag City. Using haematoxylin and eosin and various histochemical dyes, light microscopy was utilized to identify the structural properties of the soybeans. The structure of all components was determined using fluorescent microscopy and acridine orange dye. Soybeans were discovered in meat samples and the cotyledon’s vascular tissue and parenchymal cells rich in pectin confirmed this discovery by immunohistochemistry techniques. After immunohistochemical confirmation with an antirabbit soybean marker, the proportion of soybean was determined using histological procedures and image analysis. The percentage of soybeans in various meat products, including minced meat from two quality levels, sausages from two quality levels, raw kofta, and beef burgers from two grades, as well as chicken and luncheon meats, was 85%, 90%, 64%, 76%, 80%, 65%, 97%, 82%, and 69%, respectively. Soybean percentages in the examined samples did not fulfill Egyptian standards for soya percentages, which is approximately 10%, and this may affect consumers’ health. In conclusion, all tested meat samples contained a high percentage of soya adulteration, necessitating increased supervisory to reduce meat fraud.