Histologic detection of cardiac musculature, soy flour, and partially defatted tissue in ground beef: interlaboratory study.

ABSTRACT

A collaborative study was designed and conducted to evaluate the accuracy of a procedure for the histologic detection of cardiac muscle, soy flour, and partially defatted tissue that may occur as adulterants in ground beef. Ground beef samples were prepared containing 0, 3, 5, 10, and 15% of each of the 3 adulterants. Five samples of each composition at each of the 5 dilutions, for a total of 75 unknown samples, were analyzed at each of 5 participating laboratories. The study revealed that this technique is reliable for the detection of these adulterants in ground beef.