Procedures for the identification and detection of adulteration of fish and meat products

Abstract

The addition or exchange of cheaper fish species instead of more expensive fish species is a known form of fraud in the food industry. This can take place accidentally due to the lack of expertise or act as a fraud. The interest in detecting animal species in meat products is based on religious demands (halal and kosher) as well as on product adulterations. Authentication of fish and meat products is critical in the food industry. Meat and fish adulteration, mainly for economic pursuit, is widespread and leads to serious public health risks, religious violations, and moral loss. Economically motivated adulteration of food is estimated to create damage of around € 8 to 12 billion per year. Rapid, effective, accurate, and reliable detection technologies are keys to effectively supervising meat and fish adulteration. Various analytical methods often based on protein or DNA measurements are utilized to identify fish and meat species. Although many strategies have been adopted to assure the authenticity of fish and meat and meat a fish products, such as the protected designation of origin, protected geographical indication, certificate of specific characteristics, and so on, the coverage is too small, and it is unrealistic to certify all meat products for protection from adulteration. Therefore, effective supervision is very important for ensuring the suitable development of the meat industry, and rapid, effective, accurate, and reliable detection technologies are fundamental technical support for this goal. Recently, several methods, including DNA analysis, protein analysis, and fat-based analysis, have been effectively employed for the identification of meat and fish species.