Brain in human nutrition and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease risk (vCJD): detection of brain in retail liver sausages using cholesterol and neuron specific enolase (NSE) as markers

No information is available about the consumption of brain via meat product s. With respect to the new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) and the presumed food-borne transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (B SE) to humans, a preliminary survey for brain and/or spinal cord (tissues o f the central nervous system, CNS) was conducted. We applied a previously d eveloped integrated procedure using cholesterol and neuron specific enolase (NSE) as markers. Quantification of cholesterol had to be backed up by NSE immunochemistry in order to account for low specificity and relatively hig h variances. Out of 126 high-quality finely graded liver sausages, five sam ples (4%) showed positive NSE immunoresponses. In four of these samples a t ransgression of the normal maximum cholesterol content was obtained. The id entification of such a considerable number of CNS-positive sausages indicat es that brain consumption is not as rare as previously assumed. Overall, th e present integrated method could be successfully applied for the detection of CNS in heat-treated meat products. Its routine application in official food control would deter illegal practice and thus help to control transmis sible spongiform encephalopathies.