Authors
Deconinck Dumas, Robbens Johan, Volckaert Filip, Derycke Sofie
Description
Fish consumption is responsible for 17% of the global animal protein intake by humans, putting the fishing and aquaculture industry as a pivotal food provider. However, due to an ever-growing global population and increasing pressure on the industry, seafood is prone to fraudulent activities, such as the substitution of species. When a fish is stripped of its morphological traits, it becomes impossible to identify it by eye. Additionally, the complex supply chains make it easier for fraud to go unnoticed. To identify processed seafood, genetic approaches using DNA extraction and the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) can be used. DNA barcoding is the most commonly used genetic method, but like most current molecular methodologies it is expensive, time-consuming, and requires both expensive lab equipment and expert knowledge. However, in the seafood industry, most products are consumed as fresh as possible …