China is the largest market for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Asia.
This study (open access) tested the species of 186 “Atlantic Salmon” samples sold at the marketplace and online throughout China. The researchers used a combination of PCR (using a using a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene, an adaptor primer, and a 6-nucleotide multiplexing tag) and Next Generation Sequencing.
They report that only 53.76% of these samples were genuinely Atlantic salmon (S. salar). 33.33% were rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), 3.23% were coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), 1.61% were chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), and 8.06% were pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha).. The mislabeling rate of salmon products purchased from online platforms was significantly higher than that from traditional offline stores. There were no significant differences in mislabeling rates among different product categories (fillets/steaks, sushi, and canned processed.
Photo by Fadya Azhary on Unsplash
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