PCR-Based DNA Detection of Bovine on Medium of Cultured Meat for Consumption: Religious Perspectives

Abstract

Food technology advancements have led to the development of cultured or artificial meat produced in a laboratory setting. Recently, Israel and Singapore have built factories specifically for cultured meat production. Malaysia is also informed about a cultured meat processing facility, which is expected to be completed in 2024.  This alternative is a viable solution to meet the boosting needs and demand for meat-based food products while minimising the environmental impact of traditional livestock farming. Nevertheless, despite its potential benefits, cultured meat faces diverse challenges, including religious concerns for faiths with specific dietary requirements. Therefore, this research intended to determine the detection of DNA of bovine on the cultured medium by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The polymerase chain reaction analysis was conducted by targeting the mitochondrial DNA of the cytochrome oxidase II (COII) gene sequence and produced an amplicon size of 165 bp. The PCR was obtained by using the sample of medium mix with different concentrations (10-20%) of Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS) (Capricorn Scientific, Ebsdorfergrund, Germany), and the cell was harvested on different days. For DNA extraction, GENEAID Blood/Cell DNA mini kit (Taipei, Taiwan) was used. The findings demonstrate that DNA concentration in foetal bovine serum content was detected on the cultured medium. The presence of DNA contradicts religions such as Islam and Judaism that have strict standard dietary practices known as halal and kosher respectively. This study serves as a reference for the consumption of cultured meat for the consumer, particularly for Muslim and Jewish communities.