Fish mislabeling on the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Food fraud involving fish and fish products is a growing concern for consumers worldwide. To accurately identify fish species, the DNA barcoding technique is commonly used. The method includes amplifying and sequencing specific regions of mitochondrial DNA unique to each species and comparing the resulting sequences with existing reference databases for precise species identification. To assess the frequency of fish mislabeling on the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), a variety of samples were collected. These included fresh and frozen fish, frozen and processed fish products (such as smoked, and breaded fish), fish dishes, and canned fish. Using DNA mini-barcoding, 96 fish samples from which DNA was amplified were analyzed, revealing a mislabeling rate of 11.5%, with the highest incidence observed in samples labeled as “salmon” and “tuna”. The highest rate of mislabeling was observed in the fresh/frozen fish category, with a highest percentage of mislabeling in individual types of samples found in sushi fish. This research also showed that both the type of fish and the geographical origin of the raw material had the most impact on the frequency of fish mislabeling in the B&H market.