IFR seeks partners to develop NMR tech

The technique distinguishes between different species of animal, based on fatty acids from cuts of meat.

IFR said it was especially looking for supermarkets to develop the approach further to examine processed meat products.

It is working with Oxford Instruments and its Pulsar machine to make NMR available for routine testing.

Pulsar and software capability​

Pulsar is a benchtop NMR spectrometer operating at 60MHz proton frequency and uses a permanent magnet, so does not require liquid nitrogen, liquid helium, or compressed gases.

The machine cannot as yet decide what is in processed foods, the application is to get to meat before it is processed and work still needs to be done to identify all possible meats.

IFR, which developed the software as part of the three year project funded by Innovate UK, formerly the Technology Strategy Board, is now seeking partners to move forward.

Dr Kate Kemsley, head of Analytical Science at IFR, said the original project remit was not targeted at one area but shortly after it began the horsemeat scandal broke.

“Originally the project remit was not targeted at one area specifically it was to develop a low cost NMR for industry not just the food industry,” ​she told FoodQualityNews.com.

“Looking at the fatty acid profiles of meat in ​chloroform and you get the results in 10 minutes plus the sample preparation time. The stage we are at now is we are confident we can speciate four common types of red meat - pork, beef, lamb and goat and distinguish horse from those as you cannot tell just by looking.”​​

Kemsley said another project was proposed earlier this year to develop the meat authenticity work but the lead retailer pulled out and it has been unable to find a replacement, meaning it is unlikely to go ahead.

IFR spoke to us last year about how the project was going and what still needed to be done​.

Traditional options​

The traditional method for identification of meat species is Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and/or gene sequencing which is highly specific but takes several hours.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests can be cheaper and quicker than PCR.

In the Pulsar measurement process, solid meat samples are homogenised, then a representative sub-sample of 3-4g is shaken in a vial with 1.5ml chloroform.

A mixture is filtered, and pipetted into a 5mm NMR tube. It is inserted into the instrument and a spectrum is collected and it is transferred to the software for analysis.

The method cannot be used to quantify constituents in mixtures of meat species, or to detect trace contamination of one meat species with another.  

The Elliott review suggests that all the supply chain, including supermarkets and other retailers, need to take greater responsibility for the authenticity of foods and ingredients that they sell.

Coupled with clearer and tougher enforcement, this would send a strong message to consumers that the problem is being taken seriously and a warning to potential criminals that the food chain is not a soft touch for illegal activities, said IFR.

Kemsley said it is continuing research and believes that it will be able to develop other technology, working with the right partners, to provide consumers reassurance about purchases and allow retailers to ensure products are what they say they are.