Fish out of water: consumers’ unfamiliarity with the appearance of commercial fish species

Cusa, Marine; Falcão, Luara Hanna Oliveira; Jesus, Joaquim; Biolatti, Cristina; Blondeel, Lancelot; Bracken, Fiona S. A.; Devriese, Lisa; Garcés‐Pastor, Sandra; Minoudi, Styliani; Gubili, Chrysoula; Acutis, Pier Luigi; Mariani, Stefano

doi:10.1007/s11625-021-00932-z

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Food fraud, while not a new phenomenon, has become more relevant in recent years, and seafood is one at the highest risk categories of foods [1]. Seafood fraud practices (including intentional mislabeling and species substitution) can take place at multiple points along the value chain, where fraudsters benefit from the fact that most consumers have difficulties to visually identify the product at species levels [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A New Rapid Method for the Authentication of Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) in Seafood Products Using Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) and Lateral Flow Assay (LFA)

Velasco

Ramilo-Fernández

Denis

et al. 2021

Foods

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The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is a highly valued cephalopod species which is marketed with different grades of processing, such as frozen, cooked or even canned, and is likely to be mislabeled. Some molecular methods have been developed for the authentication of these products, but they are either labor-intensive and/or require specialized equipment and personnel. This work describes a newly designed rapid, sensitive and easy-to-use method for the detection of Octopus vulgaris in food products, based on Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) and a detection using a Lateral Flow assay (LFA). After studying several gene markers, a system of primers and nfo-probe was designed in the COI (Cytochrome Oxidase I) region and was successfully tested in 32 reference samples (covering 14 species) and 32 commercial products, after optimization. The method was also validated in a ring trial with eight European laboratories and represents a useful tool for food authenticity control at all levels of the value chain.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A New Rapid Method for the Authentication of Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) in Seafood Products Using Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) and Lateral Flow Assay (LFA)

Velasco

Ramilo-Fernández

Denis

et al. 2021

Foods

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show abstract

“…The most famous cases were the horsemeat discovered in products labelled as beef [33] and the Halal meat, destined for Muslim consumers, containing pork meat [34]. Moreover, Cusa et al [35] showed that UK citizens are unfamiliar with the appearance of commercial fish species which could be reflected in a low interest in reading the labels on seafood. In the UK, there is evidence of a decline in fishmongers and fish counters in supermarkets [36] and a change in the (sea)food system to more processed products and replacement of counters with ready to go products (UPP, PPP) via supermarket shelves.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Labels on seafood products in different European countries and their compliance to EU legislation

et al. 2021

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The increasing consumption of seafood products raises concerns over their sustainability and the conservation of marine resources. Seafood traceability, enabled by a regulated labelling system, is important to prevent overexploitation of these resources. The regulations (EU) No.1169/2011 and (EU) No 1379/2013 are the European legislative tools that specify the mandatory information that must be present on seafood labels. The present study analysed the labels of seafood products sold in different European countries in order to verify the presence of mandatory information required by EU regulations currently in place. The results show that there is a difference in compliance among groups of products and among countries. The country with the lowest level of compliance was The United Kingdom (still part of EU when the study was carried out), with an overall compliance of 63.7%. The country with the highest level of compliance was Portugal (87.2%). Across all the countries analysed, supermarkets were more compliant than fishmonger's shops and Processed Prepacked products were more conformed best to the EU labelling legislation when compared to Unprocessed Non-Prepacked products. Differences among different areas of the same country were also observed. Fishing gear, scientific name, fishing/production method and date of freezing were the types of information most frequently missing on the labels examined. The results of this study pose the bases for further actions, that can be taken by relevant institutions, to improve compliance throughout the supply chain.

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Characteristics and situational aspects of seafood fraud: a comparative crime script analysis

Lawrence,

van Ruth,

Elliott

et al. 2024

Crime Law Soc Change

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Seafood fraud is a global concern. High-value products with a diversity of species, production methods and fishery origins provide a business environment that is both conducive to criminality and financially lucrative. However, there is scarce empirical evidence on the nature of seafood fraud. This study aims to increase the understanding of deceptive practices in the seafood industry, the crime commission process and to identify possible intervention points. Ten case studies that had resulted in successful prosecutions were analysed using performed crime scripts to understand the actors, resources, processes, fraud techniques, conditions and the payment, sale and distribution of illicit products through legitimate supply chains. The crime scripts for each fraud were created using open-source intelligence, including media sources, publicly available court filings and company records. Similar to other white-collar offences, fraud opportunity was facilitated by leveraging existing resources, relationships and industry reputation to enable and conceal fraudulent practices. In all cases, fraud was perpetrated by senior management, undermining internal control mechanisms. Other fraud enablers included the availability and pricing of substitute products, lack of end-to-end traceability and the inability of supply chain actors, including consumers, to detect fraud. Also notable was the extent of employee involvement, so this paper considers impediments to external disclosure, particularly for migrant workers. The study enriches the food fraud literature by using crime script analysis to understand preparation, execution, and opportunity structures of seafood fraud. By emphasising the nature of fraudulent activities in specific markets, rather than solely focusing on perpetrators, it offers a more comprehensive approach to understanding environmental and situational influences. These insights, scarce in the current literature, are vital for shaping effective intervention strategies.

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Fish out of water: consumers’ unfamiliarity with the appearance of commercial fish species

Cited by 6 publications

References 36 publications

A New Rapid Method for the Authentication of Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) in Seafood Products Using Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) and Lateral Flow Assay (LFA)

A New Rapid Method for the Authentication of Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) in Seafood Products Using Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) and Lateral Flow Assay (LFA)

Labels on seafood products in different European countries and their compliance to EU legislation

Characteristics and situational aspects of seafood fraud: a comparative crime script analysis

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