Analytical approaches for halal authentication in meat and meat products: A review

Abstract

The increasing awareness among Muslim consumers regarding the importance of halal status has driven the demand for accurate, rapid, and scientifically reliable halal authentication methods, particularly for meat-based products that are highly susceptible to cross-contamination and adulteration with non-halal materials. Although numerous analytical techniques have been developed, existing studies are often fragmented, method-specific, and lacking an integrative evaluation that links analytical performance with practical implementation in halal assurance systems. This article reviews various halal authentication approaches by highlighting their working principles, advantages, limitations, and recent technological developments. The review was conducted through a systematic literature review of publications from 2015 to 2025 sourced from Scopus and ScienceDirect. The analyzed authentication methods include DNA-based molecular techniques such as PCR, qPCR, and LAMP, which offer high sensitivity and thermal stability; protein-based methods such as ELISA, aptamers, and proteomics, which detect species-specific biomarkers; and spectroscopic approaches (FTIR, Raman, NMR) combined with chemometrics for rapid and non-destructive differentiation of the chemical profiles of halal and non-halal materials. This review contributes by providing an integrated framework that compares conventional and emerging methods in terms of sensitivity, applicability to processed meat matrices, and relevance to halal verification practices. Furthermore, the findings highlight the potential role of modern analytical integration in strengthening the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH), improving transparency, consumer trust, and the competitiveness of the halal food industry.

Keywords: DNA-based methods, Halal assurance system, Halal authentication, Meat adulteration, Spectroscopy and chemometrics.