Isozymes

An alternative term for isoenzymes: multiple forms of enzymes that catalyse the same reaction but differ in characteristics such as primary structure, kinetics, electrophoretic mobility, and immunological properties. Their distinct patterns serve as fingerprints for species identification in meats and cultivar differentiation in produce. Food analysts exploit these differences to authenticate raw materials and detect substitution — a classical biochemical approach that predates, and still complements, DNA-based testing. They remain a cost-effective tool where DNA methods are unavailable. Combining isozyme and DNA data gives the most robust authentication.