Development of a DNA Metabarcoding Method for the Identification of Insects in Food

Sophie Hillinger; Julia Saeckler; Konrad J Domig; Stefanie Dobrovolny; Rupert Hochegger

doi:10.3390/foods12051086

Development of a DNA Metabarcoding Method for the Identification of Insects in Food

Foods. 2023 Mar 3;12(5):1086. doi: 10.3390/foods12051086.

Authors

Sophie Hillinger¹, Julia Saeckler², Konrad J Domig¹, Stefanie Dobrovolny², Rupert Hochegger²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Food Science, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
² Department for Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Institute for Food Safety Vienna, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Spargelfeldstrasse 191, 1220 Vienna, Austria.

Abstract

Insects have the potential to become an efficient and reliable food source for humans in the future and could contribute to solving problems with the current food chain. Analytical methods to verify the authenticity of foods are essential for consumer acceptance. We present a DNA metabarcoding method that enables the identification and differentiation of insects in food. The method, developed on Illumina platforms, is targeting a 200 bp mitochondrial 16S rDNA fragment, which we found to be suitable for distinguishing more than 1000 insect species. We designed a novel universal primer pair for a singleplex PCR assay. Individual DNA extracts from reference samples, DNA extracts from model foods and food products commercially available were investigated. In all of the samples investigated, the insect species were correctly identified. The developed DNA metabarcoding method has a high potential to identify and differentiate insect DNA in the context of food authentication in routine analysis.

Keywords: DNA metabarcoding; NGS; food authenticity; insects; species identification.

Grants and funding

This research was funded within a research project of the initiative FEMtech. FEMtech is an initiative of the Austrian Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK).