Abstract
In recent years, besides the consumption of fresh sea urchin specimens, the demand of minimally-processed roe has grown considerably. This product has made frequent consumption in restaurants possible and frauds are becoming widespread with the partial replacement of sea urchin roe with surrogates that are similar in colour. One of the main factors that determines the quality of the roe is its colour and small differences in colour scale cannot be easily discerned by the consumers. In this study we have applied a rapid colorimetric method for reveal the fraudulent partial substitution of semi-solid sea urchin roe with liquid egg yolk. Objective assessment of whiteness (L*), redness (a*), yellowness (b*), hue (h*), and chroma (C*) was carried out with a digital spectrophotometer using the CIE L*a*b* colour measurement system. The colorimetric method highlighted statistically significant differences among sea urchin roe and liquid egg yolk that could be easily discerned quantitatively.
Highlights
The edible sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) is widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea and along the North-eastern Atlantic coast [1,2] and is the most commercially exploited echinoid in Europe [3]
Sea urchin roe is widely used as a basic ingredient for several dishes. These dishes are characterized by high added value compared to that of basic ingredients, on which the restaurateurs count in order to build high profit margins for their whole activity [20]. These profit margins are so high as to more than counterbalance the risk of incurring penalties related to the fraudulent partial replacement of semi-solid sea urchin roe with surrogates that are similar in colour as liquid egg yolk, orangeade, and fruit juice
In this study we have applied a rapid colorimetric method to reveal the most frequent fraudulent substitution of sea urchin roe with with surrogates that are similar in colour as liquid egg yolk, a product widely used in the restaurant industry
Summary
The edible sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) is widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea and along the North-eastern Atlantic coast [1,2] and is the most commercially exploited echinoid in Europe [3]. Sea urchin harvesting has been practised differently over the years among the geographical areas of the Mediterranean Basin, mainly in the southern regions [4,5,6,7,8]. Sea urchin roe is a highly valued specialty food with a high-market demand in many Mediterranean regions [2,5,7,9,10]. Market prices for sea urchin roe can range from US$6 to $200 per kilogram in the US [15] and from €75 to €100 per kilogram in Italy. The harvesting of Paracentrotus lividus is widespread in southern regions of Italy, [5]
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