02/03/2009

APPLIED RESEARCH AGAINST COMMERCIAL FRAUDS: NO MORE DEFROSTED FOR FRESH

The substitution and the sale of a defrosted product labeled as fresh is one of the most common but more difficult to “unmask” commercial frauds. The present study wanted to verify the applicability of the NIRs technique to the identification of fresh and defrosted for a high quality product such as swordfish (Xiphias gladius) cutlets. At a later stage, after an appropriate perfecting of the method, cutlets of swordfish from different national markets have been included in the analysis to perform a first market research on the seriousness of the fraud perpetrated in this sector.
Sampling period, number and type of the samples:
During August and September 2007 from 30 specimen of fished Swordfish both male and female were obtained some cutlets (3 consecutive cutlets from each subject) to be analyzed with the NIRs. The most delicate part of the sampling was the samples collection cause the Swordfish had to be actually fresh, just fished. For this purpose the task has been carried out in those specific months when they are fished in the Messina Strait and was therefore possible to identify the samples upon unloading and obtain the cutlets in the first designated fisheries.
The NIRS technique uses the ability of every chemical compound to absorb or reflect the light. The differences among the spectra obtained from the fresh refrigerated swordfish and the defrosted one are attributable to the changes in the total light absorbance.
Results: the method managed to identify correctly over 90% of the analyzed cutlets
classifying just 5 defrosted cutlets of the 60 examined as fresh and these results could be improved further putting together a bigger data set.
The research went on with the checking with the same technique of different Swordfish cutlets collected on the market.
SAMPLES ORIGIN AND NUMBER: Eurofishmarket purchased anonymously cutlets of product in fisheries, local markets, great distribution chains in four Italian cities (Rome, Bologna, Milan
and Rovigo) for a samples number of 36 declared as Fresh and  4 sold as frozen.
COLLECTION PERIOD: this research took place in November and December.
Results: The NIRs managed to discriminate the fresh from the defrosted product, obtaining results exceeding 90% and therefore it could in the future become an instrument to perform quick screenings of marketed product batches.
From the market research performed on such a product so widely available on the market, of high quality and appreciated by the consumers all over Europe it also becomes clear that at least in the two samplings performed in November and December, in the product commonly found on the market the majority of the cutlets were classified in the group of the defrosted spectra although the product was declared as fresh on the label.
The NIRs proved to be a very effective screening for the identification of fresh and defrosted Swordfish. The fresh fish products are undoubtedly the most requested ones and therefore the higher quality ones but, to avoid paying a high price for products fraudulently declared as such, frozen or injected with additives, it might be worth to push the producers to re-examine their logistic or make a good quick frozen product. If a true fresh product cannot be guaranteed the most appropriate solution is in fact to buy a good quick frozen product “at production” where the original nutritional values are actually still present. The important thing is always declare on the label what the product it refers to really is. Now that a way to perform also verifications on the fresh or defrosted fish products has been found the fish sector operators can choose if they want to go deeper in this research as part of their self control process or the research can be intensified by the Bodies assigned to the Control.

Read the entire dossier in issue 9 of Eurofishmarket.

03/02/2009

THE MISTERIOUS "INSTANT ICE BAGS"

By G. Galante
Imports of fish products from all over the world brought the sector operators to search methods always more effective for the refrigeration of the products to provide for the long distances and avoid product’s degenerating phenomena.
Among the used methods for the refrigeration of fish products sold fresh or alive have been examined the so called “cold accumulators” or “instant ice bags” to verify their intrinsic characteristics and the possible consequences of the direct contact with food.
The “instant ice bags” are made of a plastic material wrapper, of different shapes, sizes and consistency, containing a refrigerating gel allowing the temperature to be kept at ideal level inside the cases during the transport and storage phases of the product.
This refrigeration method without doubts offers advantages compared to the use of ice because it has a higher refrigerating power and therefore a higher ability to maintain the ideal temperature for longer times and does not have the inconvenience connected to the leakage and the possible contamination of the used water for the ice making. But on the other hand this system offers a few or no guarantees at all about the refrigerating gel content and the possible effects of the gel’s contact with food. In fact often the wrappers containing the gel are not suitable for this purpose because they tear or pierce easily letting their content out, with possible toxicological risks for the consumer through the ingestion of the fish products eventually contaminated.
It is therefore necessary in light of these latter considerations to verify in a more accurate and up to date way all the material concerning the transport and storage of the fresh and alive fish products.
The dossier “THE MISTERIOUS INSTANT ICE BAGS” was published on issue 1-05 of Eurofishmarket.

Tell Eurofishmarket your experience about the Instant ice bags e-mailing info@eurofishmarket.it

03/02/2009

ADDITIVES IN FISH PRODUCTS?

By G. Galante
There are no ad hoc methods to look for new additives added to fish both fresh and processed to preserve them longer and/or to increase their weight of 10-15 % or even 25%.
Also additives with the purpose to make the products more attractive to the consumer’s eyes are almost being ignored. The yellow fin Tuna cutlet, with an added substance making the colour of the meat cherry red, “passed off” as our very high quality red tuna is a classic example. Also not rare are the cases of food intoxication from fish products consumption. Constantly increasing are also the allergy cases caused by the undeclared additives addition.
Eurofishmarket in collaboration with Universities and IZS is continuing the researches on the nature of the last used additives to evaluate their danger level and find valid analytical methods for their detection when they have been added to the products but they have not been declared.

Tell Eurofishmarket your experience and opinions about the additives e-mailing info@eurofishmarket.it

06/01/2009

HOW BLUE-FISH REACTS WHEN KEPT IN A MIX OF ICE AND WATER WITH AND WITHOUT SALT

The so called “Slurry Ice” is made of ice micro spherical particles suspensions in seawater at variable concentrations, its use allows a better cold transfer compared to all the other cooling systems and has the advantage of covering the fish without damaging it, producing a barrier protecting it from the air and therefore oxidation and dehydration.

06/01/2009

FARMED OR WILD?

By G. Galante
Fish products quality is quite frequently discussed: which are the parameters through which we give a quality evaluation to a fish product? Do the consumers use the same criteria of the specialized technicians or do they have a different perception of quality?
Drawing on these questions Eurofishmarket has carried out a  preliminary research checking from a technical and sensory point of view so much as 250 samples of three farmed fish species: the Sea Bass, the Sea Bream and the Turbot, of different origins, both fished and farmed. The control panels were formed by 3 groups: specialized veterinaries, professional chefs and consumers.
The data obtained from the research were often contradictory among the various panels: samples that obtained a medium score in the technical analysis performed sometimes more than well at the tasting tests and vice versa.
This indicates there is always more than one factor influencing the final and actual quality of the product, and also that an experienced technical evaluation of the macroscopic aspects of the product does not guarantee a real sensory quality of the same product.
The research also pointed out how  the consumers often have a different perception of the quality of the fish products compared to the specialized experts both because the consumer does not have many parameters at his disposal for the evaluation, and because they are influenced by the few and superficial information circulated by the mass-media, as well as because they do not often have a historic memory of the real taste of that product and they therefore do not manage to distinguish between a farmed and a wild product.
The research has anyway pointed out that the modern aquaculture techniques guarantee a product with very similar characteristics to the wild one and that often arrives on the markets fresher.
The training both technical and sensory of the sector operators and the consumers is absolutely essential to obtain an improvement of the farmed products standard and a competitive future for a good quality aquaculture.
The dossier “FARMED OR WILD” has been published on issue 2-05 of Eurofishmarket.

Tell Eurofishmarket your experience about the discussed subject e-mailing info@eurofishmarket.it

05/01/2009

WHAT FISH IS THIS FILLET REALLY MADE OF ?

There is, although not yet available for everyone, an analytical method to identify the fish also when they are processed into cutlets and fillets. Without this method it is basically impossible, even for an expert, to perform a real verification of this products type and unfortunately this type of fraud is very frequent, most of all in the ready to cook fish based food where the macroscopic identification of the ingredients is practically impossible. The same counts for the famous cod fish fingers: how many consumers really know that the “cod” declared on the label is often and in the best case scenario a South African or a South American hake and not a North American one?
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs approved the research project “Improvement of food safety, quality and consumer information in the fish production food chain” whose partners are the Milan University, the Padua University, the Turin University, the company Esselunga S.p.a. and the Consumers Association Altroconsumo and the no-profit Association Aquatilia.
The present project, now almost completed, has had the purpose to characterize with analytical IEF
the sarcoplasmatic proteins of around 200 fish species commonly found on the Italian market and to create, through an appropriate computer program, an archive of the obtained patterns. It will be possible to use the data-base to compare IEF patterns of unknown samples with the standard patterns to obtain the identification of the species origin for the unknown sample.
The method will have to be validated and standardized to be operating in every lab analysis interested and to be adopted as an official method for the identification of the commercial fish species.

Tell Eurofishmarket your experience regarding the frauds of species substitutions emailing info@eurofishmarket.it

05/01/2009

TRANSPORT OF BLUE FISH IN WATER AND ICE

A research carried out by  M.A.R.E. Soc. Coop verified the effectiveness of the blue fish preservation through immersion in water and ice by comparing it to the traditional method consisting in the icing of the product packed in perforated polystyrene containers.