Comparison of the results of the ELISA, histochemical, and immunohistochemical detection of soya proteins in meat products

This work compares the commonly used immunochemical methods for soya protein detection and alternative microscopic methods. Immunochemical methods were represented by the competitive ELISA method. Histochemical and immunohistochemical methods were used for microscopical examination. From a group of 252 meat products, each sample was examined for soya proteins by ELISA, histochemical, and immunohistochemical methods. The products came from the following categories: cooked sausages, ham, dry cooked sausages, and fermented sausages. The results showed that the highest accuracy was achieved by immunohistochemical examination. However, in the category of cooked sausages, this result was not statistically significant. Since the results in the individual categories differed, our results demonstrate that one single method does not always provide reliable and completely objective results. Immunohistochemical methods seem to be the most suitable for the verification of the reference immunochemical method results and prevention of false results.