Study of fish products in Metro Vancouver using DNA barcoding methods reveals fraudulent labeling - Oceana Canada

Report | June, 2018

Study of fish products in Metro Vancouver using DNA barcoding methods reveals fraudulent labeling

 

This seafood fraud study conducted by the University of British Columbia in collaboration with Oceana Canada used DNA barcoding to test 281 seafood samples collected in Metro Vancouver between September 2017 and February 2018. The results were alarming: 70 of the 281 samples were mislabelled.  

Examples of mislabelled samples from the study include fish sold as: 

  • Snapper and red snapper, which were actually tilapia, a much cheaper, farmed fish 
  • Halibut and sole, which were actually Sutchi catfish, which is endangered and may contain heavy-metal contaminants
  • Sockeye salmon, which was actually pink salmon and rainbow trout 

Read the full report here

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