Evaluation of ELISA for Detecting Porcine Content in Halal Compliance

Pork is strictly forbidden for consumption by the Muslim population. According to the Quran, the consumption is strictly prohibited, even in trace amounts or minimal concentrations. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of ELISA to detect porcine in food. We used six types of pork-containing food samples: raw pork meat, grilled pork skewers, pork oil, pork fat, pork fried rice, and pork meatballs. To ensure sensitivity and reproducibility, each sample was tested in duplicate using undiluted, 10x, and 100x dilutions. Samples were evaluated using spectrometry at an absorbance wavelength of 450 nm. As a result, porcine antigen was detected in raw pork meat, grilled pork skewers, and pork meatballs at OD values > 0.07 (1.012; 1.1266; 0.8166) respectively. In pork meatballs, the presence of porcine antigen at high dilutions was inconsistently observed. Moreover, porcine antigen was not detected in pork oil, pork lard, pork fried rice, or beef soup even in undiluted samples at OD value < 0.07. This study successfully detected the presence of porcine antigens, however, its application is currently limited to meat products. Detection was also less sensitive when applied to processed food. Porcine protein was not detectable in oil and lard samples, nor in processed pork meat products at higher dilutions.