The Development of Species-specific Real-time PCR Assays for the Detection of Pheasant and Quail in Food

The development of species-specific real-time PCR assays for the detection of pheasant and quail in commercial food products are reported. Real-time PCR primer and probe sets were designed to detect the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and quail (Coturnix coturnix) and were optimized to achieve species specificity. The efficiency and sensitivity of the assays were determined and their applicability to the analysis of commercial samples assessed. The assays successfully detected pheasant and quail in complex food matrices of raw, oven-cooked, and autoclaved meat, demonstrating their suitability for use in enforcement and food control laboratories.