There has been an increasing incidence of halal-labeled products which are contaminated or adulterated with pork. In one report from the Halal Monitoring Committee in the UK, they reported that up to 90% of halal-labeled meat is in doubt, not solely for pork contamination but related to all the requirements for halal products. 

Part of the reason for this is the increasing number of companies and other entities, such as restaurants, that want to access the large and growing opportunity associated with selling halal products. Undoubtedly, the problem with contamination is at least partially associated with the fact that, to date, there has been no easy, rapid and accurate way to test products for pork contamination. Thus, little testing is performed. 

Given that this contamination can occur anywhere in the value chain, from slaughterhouse to the table, there is a need to be able to verify the purity of products at a variety of locations quickly and easily.

Simplifying Accurate Pork-DNA Detection 

The HaFYS™ Pork-DNA Detection assay is based on Intellectual Property developed at the Halal Products Research Institute (HPRI) at the University of Putra Malaysia (UPM). GeneSTAT Molecular Diagnostics (GMD) has exclusively licensed this IP from UPM and has developed it for implementation on the GeneSTAT System. The assay is highly sensitive (0.001% pork in a non-pork meat products) and highly specific. The HaFYS assay has been ISO 17025 certified at HPRI using the GeneSTAT System. 

The combination of this highly accurate assay along with the portability and ease of use of the GeneSTAT System will provide the potential for assuring the purity of products that are marked as halal at the manufacturer, the retailer or in restaurants. With this test, purity can be assured without the need to send samples to a laboratory or have a highly trained laboratory technician performing the test. 

The HaFYS assay on the GeneSTAT provides a simple and accurate method for testing raw materials used in the production of food or pharmaceuticals, as well as finished products. This will provide data for manufacturers that can be used for “brand risk management” should reports of pork contamination of their products occur in the market. Given manufacturers have little control over their product after they leave the factory, having this data can be critical to managing a claimed contamination event.

Performing testing on raw materials and finished products can also provide companies with a market differentiator in what is becoming a highly competitive halal products market.

The HaFYS assay on the GeneSTAT provides simple and accurate testing for identification of pork-DNA in products for determination, monitoring and surveillance of halal purity, relative to adulteration or contamination of halal products with pork.