FISH SPECIES IDENTIFICATION IN SEAFOOD PRODUCTS

The opening up of international food markets has resulted in the establishment of new regulations that affect different aspects of labels, including ingredients lists. Many fish species sold around the world, especially those caught far away from the countries in which they are consumed, need to be processed on board ship, which may result in the subsequent removal of characteristics used for their classification (head, fins, internal organs). The biochemical characterization of fish species could be achieved using proteins or DNA sequences as species-specific markers. Since different seafood products undergo different processes, the method of analysis has to be chosen according to the modifications undergone by fish constituents during processing. As DNA molecules are more stable than proteins to various processes, including thermal treatment, DNA analysis appears to be a promising method for fish species identification.