Detection and quantification of meat species by qPCR in heat-processed food containing highly fragmented DNA

► Heat-treated mixtures of beef and pork meat tested by qPCR. ► Extent of DNA fragmentation in samples was inferred from qPCR data. ► MGB probe-based detectors allow detection and quantification of highly degraded DNA. ► Single matrix-adapted reference material used for calibration of qPCR data.