Research results show that one in five types of seafood is sold with a “wrong name” – GIGAZINE

Seafood often passes through multiple countries before reaching you, and in the process, it may end up being distributed with a species name different from its original species name. According to Matthew RJ Morris, an associate professor of biology at Canada’s Ambrose University, one in five seafoods we eat is mislabeled, and some of it is unknown. It is possible that they are eating endangered species before they even exist.

Mislabeled and ambiguous market names in invertebrate and finfish seafood conceal species of conservation concern in Calgary, Alberta, Canada [PeerJ]
https://peerj.com/articles/18113/

What are you really eating? 1 in 5 seafood products in our study were mislabelled
https://theconversation.com/what-are-you-really-eating-1-in-5-seafood-products-in-our-study-were-mislabelled-240891

In a paper published in September 2024, Morris et al. investigated invertebrate and fish foods in Calgary, an international city in the province of Alberta in western Canada, from 2014 to 2020, and found mislabeling and ambiguity. Calculated by market name. According to Morris, this is the first study in Canada to compare how seafood is treated.

The study will collect 347 fish and 109 shellfish samples, including shrimp, octopus and oysters, from restaurants and grocery stores in Calgary and identify species through DNA sequencing.DNA barcodingI tested it using this method. The DNA test results are checked against the list of seafood name labels maintained by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to ensure that the labels at restaurants and grocery stores match. For example, if “sockeye salmon” is labeled and sold as “salmon,” the study considers it a mislabeling.

As a result, it was found that one-fifth of the fish and one-fifth of the shellfish served in Canadian grocery stores and restaurants differs from the labeling. According to Morris, the one-fifth figure is within the expected global mislabeling rate for seafood. Particularly notable in the survey were foods labeled as sea bream and red sea bream, of which 79% were tilapia, 21% were rockfish or another type of sea bream, and 100% of those surveyed were incorrectly labeled. It is said that it was. Furthermore, two species of eel products are seriously threatened with extinction.european eelIt was determined that.

“Mislabelling of seafood has far-reaching implications for public health, conservation and the economy,” Morris said. Some people have been hospitalized as a result of the fish being caught.Furthermore, there are occasional penalties for mistaking cheaper seafood as more expensive, but fishing is a global industry and there are legal regulations. It is difficult to take appropriate measures.” To avoid purchasing the wrong seafood, Mr. Morris recommends, “Purchase fish with heads that are less likely to be mislabeled,” “Choose fish that are certified by country,” and “Make sure the species you are purchasing is clearly stated.” “Purchase a product,” etc.