Poissons poorly labeled with hidden additives, deceptive practices threaten the means of subsistence, food security and confidence in what ends on our plates.
Now, a new international initiative supported by the United Nations uses advanced nuclear science to protect people and make sure that the seafood they count are safe, authentic and traceable.
Fish company
The consumption of per capita seafood has doubled since the 1960s and should double by 2050, seafood fraud becoming an increasing global concern.
Seafood fraud goes from the substitution of high value species with cheaper alternatives to the use of unauthorized or not declared additives. It can occur at any stage of the supply chain, especially since surveillance and traceability become more difficult due to the increasingly complex supply chains.
To make sure that seafood fraud does not slip through the net, national and international food control systems need robust and adjusted analytical methods
Nuclear technology
A joint project between the organization of food and agriculture (Fao) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (Aiea) should use nuclear technology to counter seafood fraud.
Thanks to its FAO / IAEA spouse center for nuclear techniques in food and agriculture, IEA is launching a coordinated five -year research project to help countries strengthen food control systems to detect and prevent seafood fraud.
The IAEA will use nuclear and related techniques to strengthen scientific capacity, ensure the authenticity of products and improve resilience and transparency in seafood supply chains.
“This AIAA project offers Member States a precious opportunity to collaborate in the fight against fraud and the deactivation of the seafood supply chain using solid tools based on nuclear science,” said Debashish Mazumder of the Australian organization of science and nuclear technology, a key partner in AIEA on sustainable development problems.
Underestimated in truth with atoms
The IAEA security and food control laboratory helps countries apply nuclear and related analysis techniques to facilitate safe and authentic seafood trade, offering powerful tools for fraud detection.
One of the most effective methods for countering seafood fraud is the stable analysis of isotopic ratios of light elements such as oxygen, which allows scientists to identify the geographical origin of fish and to check whether it has been wildly taken by reflecting the environmental and ecological conditions in the biological tissues of the fish.
Used to authenticate seafood, nuclear technology serves as a powerful tool to combat seafood fraud, improve consumer protection, increase confidence in food control systems and support Fisherfolk to engage in sustainable management of aquatic resources.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
