The performance of ELISA and dot‐blot methods for the detection of crab flesh in heated and sterilized surimi‐based products

Polyclonal anti‐lobster arginine kinase antiserum was used as a probe to test for the presence of crab flesh (invertebrate tissues) in surimi‐based products. Arginine kinase is a cytoplasmic enzyme present in many invertebrates and is absent from vertebrates. Antibodies against lobster arginine kinase interacted strongly with snow crab but they gave only a low response in molluscs such as limpet, squid and scallop. Surimi (washed fish mince) exhibited a slight residual immunobinding response. Arginine kinase could easily be detected in crab‐supplemented surimi preparations with a correlation between the level of crab added to surimi and the level of immunological response. Using direct enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and an immunodot procedure, the results showed that an addition of 10–25 g of crab flesh per kg surimi‐based products could be detected even after a high sterilization process.