Tecnology 6- PCR Based DNA Test for the Differentiation of Cattle and Buffalo Meat and Milk
| 1. | Current IP Status: Complete application filed on 4th March 2013
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| 2. | Technology introduction and description: In India, cattle and buffalo are the two livestock species mainly reared as dairy animals, having significant contribution to country’s milk production. Buffaloes are also used as meat animals though females are slaughtered mostly after cessation of milk production. They produce around 1.5 million metric tons of meat annually, amounting to almost 25% of the total meat produced in India. Since, due to religious/ethical reasons cow slaughter is banned in India, except for West-Bengal, Kerala and North-eastern states, it is important to identify species origin of meat being consumed or exported. To safeguard consumers’ rights also, there is a need to label the food products declaring their species origin. Therefore, having a technology capable of detecting mixing of meat as well as milk of buffalo and cattle and hence to ascertain the species used in the manufacturing of processed food, is the need of the hour to prevent consumer deception. Efforts have been made to differentiate cattle and buffalo tissue samples as well as milk by using various molecular and chemical techniques. However, these methods are less sensitive, cumbersome and requiring post PCR processing of samples like RFLP. The present technology developed has the ability to differentiate cow and buffalo milk as well as meat with high accuracy and sensitivity, simply by PCR based amplification.
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| 3. | Benefits, usefulness, problem solving, business opportunities from the technology to the Client(s):
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Benefits
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| It has dual confirmation, simple PCR product size based as well as positive-negative amplification of the test sample. Potential benefits are as given below:
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| - Ethical /vetro-legal issues: Since cattle slaughter is banned in most of the states of India for ethical reasons. The technology presented is able to differentiate cattle and buffalo meat which will help in resolving the disputes arising due to those reasons.
- Economic issues: Mixing of buffalo and cattle milk and meat is a common practice for economic gains. The technology will help in protecting consumers’ rights in selecting the product of choice.
- Research issues: : In laboratories where multiple species DNA/tissue samples are handled particularly buffalo and cattle, the test developed will help in tracing the species origin of samples (blood/tissues/milk/DNA).
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Usefulness:
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| The technology will be useful in the areas, which require the confirmation of species origin of milk and meat, listed below:
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- Meat and milk industries.
- Identification of tissues/DNA in laboratories.
- Industries having commercial interest to sell technology in the form of kit.
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| 4. | Prospective Client(s)/ Investors of the Technology: The potential investors could be firms providing test services to the clients and also the firms that can package and sell the kit in the market for prospective buyers in India.
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| 5. | Expected price of the Technology: Negotiable .
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