Detection of bovine central nervous system tissue in liver sausages using a reverse transcriptase PCR technique and a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

The suitability of a reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR assay was evaluated for the detection of bovine central nervous system (CNS) tissue specifically in liver sausages. Because of its emulsifying effect, CNS tissue was frequently added to this kind of meat product in the past. On standard samples, the RT-PCR technique reliably detected a concentration of 0.