Scientific solutions provider Fera Science has launched a new service that aims to help food manufacturers and retailers better understand their supply chain by correctly identifying the species from which gelatine is derived.
GelSpec is the result of 5 years of the service’s development and validation on a range of foods and ingredients, using “state-of-the-art” technology and a database to determine gelatine’s origins.
The service identifies the source of gelatine, whether it’s bovid or porcine, using high-resolution mass spectrometry by detecting minute differences in the amino acid sequence of the gelatine protein and comparing with an extensive database built up over the years.
Correct identification allows food producers to be confident in their labelling and ensure that their products do not compromise consumer religious concerns, such as those relating to Halal and Kosher.
Among the benefits that GelSpec is promising manufacturers and suppliers is building consumer trust with accurate labelling, offering greater transparency to prevent accidental and fraudulent blending of meat and other species, while it has been deemed “vital for the growing Halal and Kosher markets for ceritification”.
Fera Science’s head of agri-food research, Paul Brereton, commented: “The ability to identify ingredients in a fragmented and complex supply chain can be difficult.
“GelSpec is a major step forward that will help manufacturers and retailers ensure the integrity of gelatine components in their supply chains.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
