Use of Antisera to Heat‐Stable Antigens of Adrenals for Species Identification in Thoroughly Cooked Beef Sausages

Rabbit antisera to heat‐stable antigens of equine, porcine, ovine and avian (turkey and chicken) kidney/adrenals were used in agar‐gel diffusion experiments to detect the presence of flesh from these species in thoroughly cooked beef sausages adulterated at the 10,5 and 1% levels. Mammalian adrenal antigens were detected in beef sausages at the 5% level; avian kidney/adrenal antigens were detected at the 10% level of adulteration. Species cross reactivity was observed between bovine and ovine adrenals antigens and between turkey and chicken kidney/adrenal antigens. This method can be used to determine species of origin of thoroughly cooked beef sausages.