Misinformation menu
Some studies suggest that up to 30 percent of seafood may be mislabeled in restaurants.and the report cites cases from around the world, from ceviche stands in Latin America and seafood restaurants in China to canned tuna products in the European Union.
While up to a third of aquatic products sold in the United States may not fit package descriptions, less than one percent of imports are tested, the report warns.
What drives fishing fraud?
Financial incentives are the most widespread driver of fishing fraud.
Selling Atlantic salmon, almost all of which is farmed, and Pacific salmon, most of which is wild-caught, generates a profit of nearly $10 per kilogram.
Some fraud occurs to mask the geographical origin of a product or to suppress evidence of landings above the quota, which can pose risks to the sustainability of fish stocks.
Find fraud
Fisheries fraud is defined in the report as “a deliberate practice intended to deceive others” and It may pose risks to biodiversity, human health or economic systems.according Food fraud in the fishing and aquaculture sectorproduced by FAO thanks to the cooperation between its Fisheries and Aquaculture Division and the Joint FAO/IAEA Center for Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.
The main categories of fishing fraud are:
- Adding water to unprocessed seafood products to increase weight and price.
- adulteration (add coloring to make the tuna look fresher)
- counterfeiting (imitation shrimp made from starch-based compounds)
- simulation (packaging surimi to look like crab meat)
- Diversion (distribution of legitimate products outside their intended markets).
- bad brands (such as incorrect claims about sustainability)
- invaded (implying overfishing)
- species substitution (sale of tilapia as red snapper)
- incorrect handling and labeling (implying origins and even expiration dates)
- simple robbery
Meanwhile, the risks to human wellbeing from some seafood fraud are evident, with some fish posing risks when eaten raw, while refreezing seafood increases the risk of bacterial growth.
Catch suspicious businesses
The global scale of fish consumption – targeting more than 12,000 species of seafood – The diversity of fraud types and the lack of standardized regulatory or legal definitions make it difficult to evaluate global estimates, but there are novel ways to address this scourge.
Advanced laboratory tests can be effective in identifying substances, but access to these methods is limited.
Meanwhile, the report shows that portable X-ray fluorescence and machine learning models are innovations that could help reduce fraud and make regulations more enforceable.
To end fishing fraud, the new report advocates:
- harmonized labeling requirements
- mandatory inclusion of scientific names where possible
- better traceability systems
Adding science to the tackle box
Given its complexity, identifying the crime is not simple, but the report goes into considerable detail on how scientific advances can help combat fraud, including:
- Until now, it has proven difficult to find a standard method for determining whether and how many times a seafood product has been frozen.but differences in the fatty acid composition of wild and farmed fish can be used to detect fraud
- Carbon and nitrogen ratios to determine the geographical origin of the main commercial fish species
Compensate violators
Prevention and law enforcement are essential to reduce and eventually eliminate fishery and food fraud, according to the report, which reviews concerted efforts to address cases in Argentina, Italy and the United States.
An investigation using DNA barcode To evaluate the magnitude of mislabeling in Los Angeles, California, it was found that, while it is quite low in processing plants, it is moderate among grocers and particularly common in sushi restaurants.
A local initiative by academia, industry and local government stakeholders, along with an educational campaign along with ongoing blind testing, reduced seafood mislabelling in the focus area by two-thirds in 10 years.
What is the UN doing?
Some of the UN’s ongoing efforts include:
- FAO and the Codex Alimentarius Commission – the international food standards body – are working to tighten international standards to combat food fraud
- Through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, FAO provides technical support to members who need to strengthen their testing capabilities.
Find out more about what FAO is doing here.