Cod sold in some European supermarkets is being mislabelled and is actually fished far from its claimed origin, according to our new study. We sampled cod sold in Germany, Spain, France and the UK and found that about 30% of it originated in a different location.
Seafood mislabelling, in which one species is sold as another, is a common problem. It may happen by mistake or by deliberate fraud, in which case, there is at least hope for improvement, as various DNA methods are now available for testing species.
But our new research highlights another problem: the mislabelling of geographical origin. As with species mislabelling, this issue can affect the sustainable management of fisheries, the conservation of fish in the wild and consumer trust.
