The performance of an SDS‐PAGE and an ELISA method for the quantitative analysis of soya protein in meat products: An international collaborative study

The results are reported of a collaborative study in which five meat products containing different known levels of one of five different commercial soya ingredients, together with a blind duplicate and a blank, were analysed for soya protein by 26 laboratories in 10 European countries. Two techniques were tested: the sodium dodecylsulphate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) method of Armstrong et al. (J. Food Technol . 1982, 17 , 327–337) and the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method of Hitchcock et al. (J. Sci. Food Agric . 1981, 32 , 157–165). It was concluded that both methods give zero blanks and similar interlaboratory variances; SDS‐PAGE gives more repeatable intralaboratory data, while ELISA gives more accurate determinations. The results reflect significant progress to an interim stage of methodology development; both methods are useful, but require further refinements to make them generally acceptable for control purposes.