A comprehensive quantitative LC-MS/MS method for rapid gelatin source identification in food products: Comparison with PCR

Authentication of gelatin sources are required for cultural beliefs and food integrity. This paper describes a sensitive and rapid detection of gelatin sources using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. The specific peptide markers were adopted to accurately identify bovine and porcine gelatin in pharmaceutical capsules and jellies. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was employed to identify and quantify over five specific peptide markers, each characterized by its unique precursor and product ion transitions. The developed method was validated at three concentration levels in gelatin-containing products to assess its accuracy and precision. The recovery (accuracy) of the proposed method was between 80 % and 107 %, and relative standard deviation (precision) was in the range of 5.16-9.97 %. Linearity was obtained ≥ 0.99 (R²). To ensure the accuracy of ingredient labeling, the LC-MS/MS results were compared with those obtained from PCR assays. The LC-MS/MS method demonstrated exceptional sensitivity, reliably detecting gelatin adulteration at concentrations as low as 0.01 %. The developed LC-MS/MS method provides a rapid and accurate results for authenticating gelatin sources in various food products within 4 hours.