Dive Brief:
- Scientists have created a faster, cheaper alternative to DNA testing to detect if "beef" is actually horse meat.
- A new tabletop machine, created by researchers at the Institute of Food Research and Oxford Instruments, uses technology similar to what is found in a hospital MRI.
- The machine debuts nearly two years after a horse meat scandal swept the food industry in Europe.
Dive Insight:
At the peak of the scandal, the food industry found that it wasn't easy or cheap to test for the presence of horse meat. That explains why so little testing was done that could have prevented the scandal. Here's hoping the new machine can help prevent, as well as detect, further adulteration.