Decoding Seafood: Multi-Marker Metabarcoding for Authenticating Processed Seafood

Abstract

Given the recognized nutritional value of fish and shifting consumer lifestyles, processed seafood has become increasingly prevalent, comprising a significant portion of global food production. Although current European Union labeling regulations do not require species declaration for these products, food business operators often voluntarily provide this information on ingredient lists. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) approaches are currently the most effective methods for verifying the accuracy of species declarations on processed seafood labels. This study examined the species composition of 20 processed seafood products, each labeled as containing a single species, using two DNA metabarcoding markers targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and 16S rRNA genes. The combined use of these markers revealed that the majority of the products contained multiple species. Furthermore, two products were found to be mislabeled, as the declared species were not detected. These findings underscore that NGS is a robust technique that could be adopted to support routine food industry activities and official control programs, thereby enhancing the 'From Boat to Plate' strategy and combating fraudulent practices in the complex fisheries supply chain.

Keywords: NGS; dual-marker; food official controls; multi-species products; primers; seafood traceability.

Figure 1

Venn diagram illustrating the shared and exclusive taxonomic identifications between the COI and 16S gene fragments. While Pleuronectidae is identified as a shared taxon, only the COI fragment achieved species-level identification. * Family detected by both markers but only COI was able to identify Pleuronectes platessa to species level.

Figure 2

Heatmap of presence/absence based on the integration of molecular identifications obtained with COI and 16S fragments. Taxonomic identifications are reported at the species level where possible.