Abstract: Feed safety, including feed authenticity, is an important concern related to human health, as well as animal production and environmental issues, resulting in an increasing pressure on governmental policy and different levels of the food production chain. Animal meal, due to its high nutritional value as a mineraland proteinrich additive, is an important ingredient of compound feed in livestock production. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was diagnosed in British cattle in 1986. Current evidence shows that the disease originated from supplementary feed containing meat and/or bone meal contaminated with a scrapielike agent derived from sheep or cattle. In order to avoid a further spread of BSE, and other epidemic diseases, several countries have prohibited the inclusion of different types of animal byproducts in ruminant feed, and in general meat and bone meal(MBM) is prohibited from such use. For the detection of animal materials and their origin identification, several techniques are currently used including microscopy，immunoassay，HPLC and polymerasechainreaction (PCR). The microscope examination is the official method to prove animaloriginated adulterations of feeds, however, it was impossible to identify the species involved, and this technique is time-consuming and requires experienced staff and microscopic equipment. The application of conventional protein based methods, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Isoelectric focusing and chromatography failed to detect heattreated proteins. Molecular biological techniques allow the demonstration of DNA in heatprocessed samples. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a very sensitive method and will play an important role for species differentiation soon. Unfortunately, falsepositive results occasionally occur. 

Key words: feedstuff; BSE; MBM; PCR