The Potential of near Infrared Microscopy to Detect, Identify and Quantify Processed Animal by-Products

Epidemiological studies have indicated that the most likely pathway of the infection of cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is feed-borne contamination with animal proteins. The enforcement of the ban on meat and bone meal in feed for farmed animals, including the “species-to-species” ban, is considered an important measure to prevent the spread of BSE. This review summarises more than ten years of work on species identification, quantification, comparison with optical microscopy, combination with polymerase chain reaction and detection based on chemometric decision rules and discriminant models. In the first part of the review, a summary is given of existing methods for the detection, identification and quantification of processed by-products of animal origin. In the second part, the possibilities offered by the near infrared microscopy technique for detecting, identifying and quantifying processed by-products of animal origin is reviewed. Work needed on enforcing the feed ban in terms of both routine and official control measures is also discussed.