Canadian developed DNA technology helps identify mislabeled foods

Canadian DNA technology is helping some students at a Manhattan high school identify mislabeled foods in local markets and stores.

Two grade 12 students at Trinity School in Manhattan collected DNA samples from foods and objects in their homes and neighbourhood.

They used bar-coding technology developed at the University of Guelph to identify 150 samples, which they matched against a growing database of DNA samples.

The students say they found nearly 17-percent of the food products bought at local markets misrepresented the contents, including an expensive specialty sheep's milk cheese that was really made from cow's milk.

Bob Hanner, the Guelph biologist who pioneered the technology, says the work shows the importance of DNA bar coding in identifying false labels when it comes to food and other products.