Battling Fish Fraud With DNA Testing 63
itwbennett writes "High demand, high prices, and nearly identical cheaper alternatives is a recipe for fraud. Eel fraud, that is. This has led Japanese researchers to develop a method to cheaply and quickly batch-test DNA by taking small tissue samples from thousands of eels. 'If a non-local eel is found in a batch, more tests will be performed to find the guilty foreigner.'"
Not just Eel (Score:3, Informative)
This seems to be a growing problem in both fish markets and sushi shops. Shops are trying to sell off one type of fish as another that looks and tastes similiar. Other issues come from labeling as wild caught vs farm raised.
Take salmon for example. Wild caught will stay pink as it cooks where farm raised will not. But they look the same when raw.
Re:Not just Eel (Score:4, Informative)
That's not true, the color comes from the same pigment astaxanthin. The amount in the feed determines the color and can be tailored by the farm. Admittedly farmed salmon is horrible and is a bit like raising lions for food...
Re:Not just Eel (Score:4, Informative)
In Japan the opposite was happening just as frequently. The endangered accidentally caught fish was being sold as a commonly available fish.
Re:Dumb Consumers? (Score:2, Informative)
No, they are not getting what they paid for. There are more considerations other than just taste. Are the health properties of the food the same? Are the environmental impacts of the fishing methods the same? Are the food safety aspects the same? Who is getting the money (and jobs) - local people or foreigners?