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Carrageenan is a polysaccharide that is widely used in the food industry. Due to its water holding capacity, there is a higher risk of adulteration for economic reasons related to it. A verifiable method for detecting carrageenan is still missing in the food inspection sector. The detection of carrageenan in meat products is not well described. Our study describes lectin histochemistry as a novel approach for carrageenan detection. Within this study, the detection of carrageenan in meat products by lectin histochemistry is validated. Lectins of Arachis hypogaea (PNA) and Bandeiraea simlicifolia (BSA), specific for galactose units of carrageenan, were used. The samples included model meat products (ground chicken-meat products) and meat products from retail markets (chicken and pork hams, sausages, salami, and dried sausages). The limit of determination (LoD) of this method was set at 0.01 g kg−1. The method sensitivity for lectin PNA reached 1, and, for lectin BSA, it reached 0.96. Method specificity for lectin PNA was 1, and, for lectin BSA, it was 1.33. Cross-reactivity with other hydrocolloids tested was not confirmed. The results confirm that lectin histochemistry is suitable for detecting carrageenan in meat products.

To increase production efficiency of meat products, milk protein additives are often used. Despite a number of advantages, use of dairy ingredients involves a certain risk, namely the allergenic potential of milk proteins. A number of methods have been developed to detect milk-origin raw materials in foodstuffs, including immunological reference methods. This study presents newly developed immunohistochemical (IHC) methods for casein detection in meat products. Casein was successfully detected directly in meat products where sensitivity was determined at 1.21 and specificity at 0.28. The results obtained from the IHC were compared with the Enzyme-Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) and there was no statistically significant difference between the IHC and ELISA methods (p &gt, 0.05). The correspondence between the methods was 72% in total. The highest correspondence was reached in frankfurters (90%), the lowest in canned p&acirc, t&eacute, (44%).