The use of real-time polymerase chain reaction for detection of raw rat meat (Rattus norvegicus) with species-specific primer for halal authentication

Rat meat (RM) can be obtained freely from farmers and can be used as a potential adulterant in meat-based food products. The presence of RM in any food products is prohibited by the Muslim community and is considered non-halal meat. Therefore, an analytical method capable of analysing RM specifically is very urgent. In this study, a real -time polymerase chain reaction using a species-specific primer targeting NADH dehydrogenase subunit 6 (ND6) is applied to analyze RM. DNA extraction was...