Colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for identification of crocodile meat in raw meat and commercial processed meat products

Abstract Deliberate and accidental adulteration or substitution of crocodile meat with other meats is possibly seen in meat products, which could be challenging to identify. This research aims to develop a new loop-mediated isothermal amplification for accurately identifying crocodile meat in raw meat and processed food samples. Conditions for LAMP were initially optimised. The LAMP was proven for its high specificity to only crocodile DNA. The LAMP revealed a detection limit of 1 pg/μL crocodile DNA and 0.01% (w/w) crocodile meat in meat admixtures. From forty-seven commercial processed meat samples, the LAMP detected crocodile content in ten products with the declaration of crocodile on their labels. Without the requirement of DNA purification, the direct LAMP showed its ability to detect crocodile content in both fresh meat and processed meat samples. This LAMP could become a promising alternative to support the food industry, especially for on-site services and limited-resource laboratories.