New Delhi, May 21 -- India, one of the world's largest buffalo meat exporters, is planning a DNA-based testing system to strengthen meat verification and traceability, amid concerns over illegal meat exports and suspected mixing of banned cow meat with buffalo meat consignments, two people directly involved in the process said.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which reports to the consumer affairs ministry, has started a study to validate a real-time PCR-based test to detect buffalo DNA in foodstuff and feedstuff to check adulteration and improve species verification in animal-derived products, the people said on the condition of anonymity.

"The study's findings will pave the way for introducing new standards as the existing intern...