Brussels, 03/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - After the scandal which rocked the meat industry (horsemeat used instead of beef), NGOs and research centres (BLOOM, Oceana, INSERM, the National Museum of Natural History) and the magazine TerraEco have carried out an investigation into the fish and seafood sector in France.
In comparison to similar studies carried out in EU countries, which revealed high levels of fraud in the sector (32% overall in Italy, 30% of all hake in Spain, 19% of cod in Ireland), the rate of species substitution is low in France (3.5%) and the United Kingdom (6%), according to the authors of the study.
It is the responsibility of the member states to verify this information and to take the matter before the European Commission if they deem necessary, according to sources.
Ten French regions were studied for one year and nearly 400 samples were collected from supermarkets, fishmongers and restaurants. The investigators noted that no cases of fraud were identified featuring species such as Alaskan pollock, seabass, monkfish and whiting. Cod, however, was replaceded in 4.2% of cases (six samples out of 143) by haddock or hake, species with a lower market value.
Bluefin tuna under the spotlight. Fraud was, however, very high for an emblematic species: bluefin tuna. Four out of five samples (or 80%) labelled “bluefin tuna” turned out to be hiding other species of tuna: albacore tuna or bigeye, both of which are cheaper. Of the 119 samples taken from frozen products and ready meals, no cases of fraud were detected. On the other hand, problems were found with fresh filleted fish: 8% of fresh fillets sold in fish markets and 4% of those sold in the seafood aisles of supermarkets did not correspond to their labels. In restaurants, labelling fraud was detected in 4% of cases. (LC)