Are we sure we eat what we buy? Fish mislabelling in Buenos Aires province, the largest sea food market in Argentina

DELPIANI, G.; DELPIANI, S.M.; DELI ANTONI, M.Y.; COVATTI ALE, M.; FISCHER, L.; LUCIFORA, L.O.; DÍAZ DE ASTARLOA, J.M.

FISHERIES RESEARCH

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2019 vol. 221

0165-7836

The detection of substituted or mislabeled seafood may have different consequences on consumers and theenvironment, including economic losses due to potential commercial fraud, public health effects, uncontrolledimpacts on fish species of threatened status, and damage to populations due to overfishing. The molecularidentification of processed meat or specimens that lack diagnostic body parts is a highly effective tool for speciesidentification and law enforcement. DNA barcoding was used to assess levels of mislabeling or substitutionthrough molecular identification of fresh fish fillets sold in different seafood markets throughout the Province ofBuenos Aires, Argentina. The total substitution rate was 21.34% with most of the replacements involvingChondrichthyes (22 of the 35 mislabeled fillets), mainly the sharks Galeorhinus galeus (8 times) and Mustelusschmitii (9 times) being sold as something else. These results highlight the problems generated by mislabelling, toa great extent an economic problem (fraud), and also a conservation problem, due to the exploitation ofthreatened species. The present study reinforces a calling for enlarged traceability of food products and theassessment of authenticity of fillets by skilled supervisory authorities.