Homogenization of Candy or Sweets for Porcine DNA Testing using the Bead Ruptor Elite

Both Halal and Kosher standards forbid the consumption of products of porcine origin – including all foods, cosmetics and personal care products. 

Pork-based additives are more common that you might think-gelatin and other gelling agents are used in many processes as stabilizers, binders, thickeners, emulsifiers, and foaming agents. Gelatin, specifically, is found in foods like jellies, ice-cream sweets or confectionary, cookies, and cakes, as well as in pharmaceuticals including capsules, tablets, lozenges, and creams or topical/transdermal medicines. Gelatine is made from the protein collagen. Collagens can be extracted from the skin, bones, and connective tissues of many animals [1, 2]. 

Porcine-derived collagen can be detected by extracting DNA prior to analysis using real-time PCR based genetic testing or peptide LC-MS/MS methods. Prior to DNA extraction, samples must be homogenized and fully dissolved. The traditional method for homogenizing a food sample is by hand, using a mortar and pestle. Only one sample at a time is milled, and the mortar and pestle must be thoroughly cleaned with hazardous reagents to ensure that there is no carryover between samples.

The Omni Bead Ruptor Elite™ bead mill homogenizer provides a high-throughput homogenization alternative. It is capable of processing 24 samples simultaneously, or up to 960 samples per hour. The system imparts high force on samples that results in a complete homogenate, suitable for further sample preparation and downstream analyses. Marshmallows, taffy, and gummy bears are sample matrices that are particularly challenging due to their sugary, chewy, sticky, or gummy consistencies. 

The Omni Bead Ruptor Elite bead mill homogenizer completely dissociates a variety of confectionary treats, including marshmallows and chewy, taffy candy, in as little as 60 seconds. Samples can be further prepared for porcine DNA analysis using the Tissue DNA Purification Kit or a similar DNA extraction kit.

Figure 1: Images of sample before and after homogenization