Fish nutrient composition: a review of global data from poorly assessed inland and marine species

Applying innovative technological interventions in the preservation and packaging of fresh seafood products to minimize spoilage - A systematic review and meta-analysis

Seafood, being highly perishable, faces rapid deterioration in freshness, posing spoilage risks and potential health concerns without proper preservation. To combat this, various innovative preservation and packaging technologies have emerged. This review delves into these cutting-edge interventions designed to minimize spoilage and effectively prolong the shelf life of fresh seafood products. Techniques like High-Pressure Processing (HPP), Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), bio-preservation, and active and vacuum packaging have demonstrated the capability to extend the shelf life of seafood products by up to 50%. However, the efficacy of these technologies relies on factors such as the specific type of seafood product and the storage temperature. Hence, careful consideration of these factors is essential in choosing an appropriate preservation and packaging technology.

Associations of fish and meat intake with iron and anaemia in Malawian children

Animal flesh foods are rich in bioavailable iron but infrequently consumed by young children. We aimed to determine whether flesh food intake was associated with iron and anaemia status among 585 Malawian infants enroled in a 6-month egg-feeding trial. The percentage of days of small fish, large fish and meat consumption were assessed through weekly 7-day animal-source food screeners. Grams of intake were assessed through 24-h recalls conducted at 6-9, 9-12 and 12-15 months of age. Plasma ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and haemoglobin concentrations were measured at 6-9 and 12-15 months of age. Iron biomarkers were adjusted for inflammation during analysis. At enrolment, each flesh food category was consumed by <5% of children in the past 24 h. Over the next 6 months, small fish, large fish and meat were consumed on 25%, 8% and 6% of days, respectively, with mean usual intakes of <5 g/day. More frequent small fish consumption was associated with lower sTfR (geometric mean ratio [95% CI]: 0.98 mg/L [0.96, 1.00] per 10 percentage point difference) but not ferritin (1.03 µg/L [0.98, 1.07]) or haemoglobin (1.01 g/dL [1.00, 1.01]). Large fish consumption was associated with higher anaemia (prevalence ratio [95% CI]: 1.09 [1.01, 1.19]) and lower iron deficiency (0.96 [0.93, 1.00]) prevalence. Gram intakes of flesh food categories were not associated with any iron or anaemia indicators. Small fish were a primary contributor to flesh food intake in this cohort of Malawian children, although usual portions were small. Fish was associated with modest improvements to iron status, but meat was too infrequent to be associated with anaemia and iron deficiency.

Measuring dietary intake in low-and middle-income countries: a systematic review of the methods and tools for estimating fish and seafood intake

CONTEXT

Fish and seafood consumption makes an important but often under-recognized contribution to dietary patterns and nutrition, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Therefore, valid, and reliable dietary assessment tools (DATs) and methods to measure seafood consumption in resource-poor settings are needed.

OBJECTIVE

To review the available DATs that have been used to measure fish and seafood consumption in LMICs and to assess their quality.

DATA SOURCES

A systematic search of the electronic databases Scopus, Embase, and Medline was conducted, identifying 1541 initial articles, of which 122 eligible full-text articles were reviewed.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data extraction focused on the purpose of dietary assessment, setting, target population group, DAT type, administration mode, type of fish and seafood assessed, specific measure of food intake, use of a portion-size-estimation aid, and details of validity, reliability, and pilot testing of the DATs.

DATA ANALYSIS

The most common DATs used were food frequency questionnaires (n = 80; 58%), of which 36 (25%) were semi-quantitative. The majority of tools (n = 107; 78%) included measurement of consumption frequency; only 41 studies (30%) measured frequency, quantity, and type of seafood consumed. Only 41 DATs (30%) solely focused on fish or seafood intake. Most DATs were interviewer administered (n = 80; 58%), 23 (16%) mentioned the use of a portion-size-estimation aid, and validity was tested for only 13% of DATs (n = 18).

CONCLUSION

This systematic review reveals a lack of sufficient detail in the use of standard DATs to fully capture the contribution of fish and seafood to diets in LMICs. Consequently, the need to develop or adapt existing DATs to capture frequency, quantity, and type of fish and seafood intake with consideration of cultural eating practices has been highlighted. This is essential for informing appropriate interventions to leverage the nutritional benefits of seafood consumption in LMICs.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration no. CRD42021253607.

Fish consumption and its lipid modifying effects - A review of intervention studies

Fish is an important source of nutrients, particularly the long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs). The incorporation of fish into the diet has been shown to have several health benefits, including lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Elevated plasma lipids are one of the main modifiable risk factors contributing to CVD and may be partly mediated by n-3 PUFAs. Although n-3 PUFAs in the form of supplementation have been shown to exert lipid modifying effects, the effects of fish consumption on the lipid profile have not been well summarised to date. Therefore, the aim of the present review is to discuss the current evidence from intervention studies investigating the effect of fish consumption on the lipid profile in both apparently healthy and non-healthy populations. Existing evidence appears to support the role of fish in promoting a shift towards a less inflammatory lipid profile through raising n-3 PUFAs and potentially lowering n-6 PUFA and triglyceride concentrations in both healthy and non-healthy populations. Fish consumption has a negligible effect on cholesterol concentrations; however, fish consumption may promote a small increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol amongst people with lower HDL at baseline. Limited studies have shown fish consumption to result in shifts in phospholipid and sphingolipid species and structure, albeit it is not yet clear whether these alterations have any meaningful impact on CVD risk. Future well-designed studies that utilise NMR and/or lipidomics analysis are warranted to explore the effects of these shifts in lipid content and structure in the context of disease development. Public health guidance should emphasise the cardioprotective benefits of fish and encourage consumption particularly in the Global North where fish consumption remains low.

Species trait diversity sustains multiple dietary nutrients supplied by freshwater fisheries

Species, through their traits, influence how ecosystems simultaneously sustain multiple functions. However, it is unclear how trait diversity sustains the multiple contributions biodiversity makes to people. Freshwater fisheries nourish hundreds of millions of people globally, but overharvesting and river fragmentation are increasingly affecting catches. We analyse how loss of nutritional trait diversity in consumed fish portfolios affects the simultaneous provisioning of six essential dietary nutrients using household data from the Amazon and Tonlé Sap, two of Earth's most productive and diverse freshwater fisheries. We find that fish portfolios with high trait diversity meet higher thresholds of required daily intakes for a greater variety of nutrients with less fish biomass. This beneficial biodiversity effect is driven by low redundancy in species nutrient content profiles. Our findings imply that sustaining the dietary contributions fish make to people given declining biodiversity could require more biomass and ultimately exacerbate fishing pressure in already-stressed ecosystems.

Substituting Fish Meal with Tubiechong (Eupolyphaga sinensis) By-Product in the Diets of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides): Effects on Growth, Meat Quality, and Liver Health

A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of replacing 0% (control), 10% (T10), 20% (T20), 30% (T30), and 40% (T40) fish meal with a Tubiechong (Eupolyphaga sinensis) by-product in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Triplicate groups of 30 fish (5.36 ± 0.01 g) were fed two times daily to apparent satiation for 60 days. The experimental results showed that the Tubiechong by-product could improve the growth performance of largemouth bass by increasing the FBW, WGR, and SGR until the replacement ratio was 40%. The quadratic regression analysis showed that the proportion of the Tubiechong by-product was 20.79% and 20.91%, respectively, when WGR and SGR were the best. Concurrently, the meat quality in the replacement groups was higher, specifically, the lightness and white values were higher, and the water loss rates were lower (P < 0.05) than that in the control group. Moreover, the changes of the activities of CAT and GSH in the liver and T-AOC and GSH in serum could reveal the antioxidant capacity improvement of fish by the Tubiechong by-product. In the study, the replacement groups had lower T-CHO and HDL-C in serum (P < 0.05), indicating that the Tubiechong by-product had an active role in improving blood lipid and regulating lipid metabolism. Simultaneously, the replacement groups had a normal structure with central hepatocytes' nuclei and deviated from the center partly, while most of the hepatocytes were swollen in the control group with nuclear degeneration. The results showed that the Tubiechong by-product had a positive effect on the liver health of fish. Conclusively, the present study indicated that the partial dietary replacement of fish meal using the Tubiechong by-product (for up to 40% replacement level) in the diet of largemouth bass not only caused no adverse effects on fish health but also improved the growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant capacity, and hepatic health and is conducive to supplying nutritious, high-quality, and healthy aquatic products.

Comprehensive metabolomic profiling of nutrients in fish and shrimp

Although fish and shrimp are commonly consumed in daily life and recognized as nutrient-rich species, global profiling of the endogenous nutrients in these species is lacking. Here, we optimized the sample preparation and data acquisition methods of metabolomics to comprehensively characterize the nutrients in selected fish and shrimp species and compared them with those in beef, leading to the identification of 71 differentially expressed metabolites. Of these, docosahexaenoic acid, taurine, choline and (lyso)phosphatidylcholines were found to be abundant in the examined fish species, while several nonessential amino acids were rich in the analyzed shrimp samples. Subsequently, the biological functions of the metabolites rich in shrimp were queried. Intriguingly, the examined nutrients exemplified by proline can significantly mitigate the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammatory responses in BV2 cells and RAW264.7 cells. Collectively, our findings imply that the dietary intake of certain fish and shrimp species may benefit human health through alleviating inflammatory responses.

Nutritional value of the marine fish in Bangladesh and their potential to address malnutrition: A review

Marine fish are good source of essential macro- and micronutrients and major food items in coastal areas in Bangladesh. However, there is no review that details the nutritional value of marine fish in Bangladesh. Therefore, this review focuses on the nutrient composition of marine fish in Bangladesh and how the marine fish can address common nutrient deficiencies among women and children. Nutrient composition data was collected through literature searching in databases and source, including PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, WorldFish, and Bangladesh-based database Banglajol. Calculation was carried out to present how one serving marine fish could potentially meet the daily requirement of protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin A, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for pregnant and lactating women and children aged 6-23 months. A total of 97 entries covering nutrient composition analysis of 67 individual fish species were extracted from 12 articles published between 1993 and 2020. Included articles contained analysis of proximate composition, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acid. Twelve minerals and nine vitamins were analyzed and reported. The average energy, protein, fat, and ash content per 100 g edible raw marine fish was 343.58 kJ, 16.76 g, 4.16 g, and 2.22 g, respectively. According to available data, marine fish are good sources of protein, zinc, calcium, and DHA. Pelagic small fish, which are mainly captured by artisanal small-scale fishers, had more nutritional value than other categories of fish. Furthermore, marine small fish were found more nutritious than commonly consumed freshwater fish types in Bangladesh, including major carps, introduced carps, and tilapia. Therefore, the study concludes that marine fish have high potential to address malnutrition in Bangladesh. There was scarcity of literature regarding the nutrient composition of marine fish in Bangladesh and in South Asia as a whole, so more comprehensive quality research in this area is recommended.

Development of Food Multi-Mix Using a Linear Programming Approach to Fill the Nutrient Gap of Amino Acids and Micronutrients for Stunted Non-Wasted Children

Food-based approaches using locally available food escalates the feasibility and the sustainability of nutrition intervention. A complementary feeding recommendation (CFR) integrated with the food multi-mix (FMM) formulation was targeted to fulfill micronutrient and amino acid requirements for stunted non-wasted (SNW) children aged 12-23 months living in agricultural areas. A seven-day estimated food record (EFR) of 87 children was used to design the CFR and 4 identified underutilized foods were integrated as the FMM. A linear programming approach using Optifood was applied to optimize the CFR and FMM. CFR alone successfully fulfills the vitamin C, riboflavin, iron, and zinc, but it cannot fulfill calcium, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, and histidine. With the incorporation of the selected underutilized cowpea, buncis batik, wader fish, and cows' milk in the FMM development, the nutrients that are challenging in CFR development, can be fulfilled. Therefore, these findings present evidence that food multi-mix developed based on locally available nutrient-dense food sources can help to meet the nutrient gaps, which often remained even after a complementary feeding diet is optimized. Efficacy study using the developed CFR and FMM is recommended to assess effect in improving intake of micronutrients and amino acids and improving the linear growth of stunted, non-wasted children.

Small pelagic fish supply abundant and affordable micronutrients to low- and middle-income countries

Wild-caught fish provide an irreplaceable source of essential nutrients in food-insecure places. Fishers catch thousands of species, yet the diversity of aquatic foods is often categorized homogeneously as 'fish', obscuring an understanding of which species supply affordable, nutritious and abundant food. Here, we use catch, economic and nutrient data on 2,348 species to identify the most affordable and nutritious fish in 39 low- and middle-income countries. We find that a 100 g portion of fish cost between 10 and 30% of the cheapest daily diet, with small pelagic fish (herring, sardine, anchovy) being the cheapest nutritious fish in 72% of countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, where nutrient deficiencies are rising, <20% of small pelagic catch would meet recommended dietary fish intakes for all children (6 months to 4 years old) living near to water bodies. Nutrition-sensitive policies that ensure local supplies and promote consumption of wild-caught fish could help address nutrient deficiencies in vulnerable populations.

Physicochemical parameters and nutritional profile of back and abdomen muscle of fresh golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) and hybrid grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus × Epinephelus fuscoguttatus)

Golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) and hybrid grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus × Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) has widely been distributed in China and Southeast Asian countries with great commercial importance. In this study, the nutritional profiles, chemical and physical parameters of back and abdomen muscles were determined. Significantly different (p < .05) proximate compositions were found in two fish muscles. The contents of water-soluble protein, salt-soluble protein, and non-nitrogenous protein were higher in the golden pompano while salt-insoluble proteins were higher in the hybrid grouper. The main minerals found were K (3700.56-4495.57 μg/g) followed by P > Na > Mg > and Ca, respectively. Fatty acids contents consisted of polyunsaturated fatty acids ranging from 29.40% to 43.09% and saturated fatty acids 28.33% to 39.61%. The muscles were rich in n-3 PUFAs with n-6/n-3 ratio of 1.36%-2.96% in the back and abdomen. On the other hand, total amino acid and non-essential amino acid contents were found higher in the hybrid grouper while essential amino acid and delicious amino acid contents were higher in the golden pompano. Glutamic acid was the most predominant amino acid. The amino acid scores (AAS) of six amino acids were close to 1.00, whereas lysine showed the highest AAS while tryptophan was the most limited essential amino acid in all muscles, respectively. These results indicated golden pompano and hybrid grouper exhibited a varied nutritional composition and offered a good nutritional profile.

Fish and Fish-Based Products for Nutrition and Health in the First 1000 Days: A Systematic Review of the Evidence from Low and Middle-Income Countries

Fish provide essential nutrients for the critical window of growth and development in the first 1000 d of life and are thus an attractive option for inclusion in nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific programming. We conducted a systematic review of the evidence for fish and fish-based products for nutrition and health outcomes during the first 1000 d of life in low- and middle-income countries, searching the peer-reviewed and gray literature from 1999 to 2020. Databases included PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ProQuest, and the Clinical Trials repository. Our search returned 1135 articles, 39 of which met the inclusion criteria. All studies were dual evaluated for risk of bias. Of the included studies, 18 measured maternal health and nutrition outcomes and 24 measured infant/child outcomes (3 measured both). Our search uncovered 10 impact evaluations, all of which measured consumption of fish or fish-based complementary food products in children aged 6-24 mo. We did not find strong evidence for fish consumption in children improving child growth from the impact evaluations; however, the studies were highly heterogeneous in their design and likely underpowered to detect an effect. Results from observational studies were mixed but provided evidence that adding fish to maternal and child diets is associated with improved nutrition outcomes, such as reducing the risk of anemia and improving vitamin D status. Given the nutrient richness of fish and the fact that production is often more environmentally friendly as compared with other animal source foods, more robust evidence is needed on the role of fish consumption in nutrition interventions to inform policy and programming recommendations in low- and middle-income countries.

The First Exposure Assessment of Mercury Levels in Hair among Pregnant Women and Its Effects on Birth Weight and Length in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia

(1) Background: Methylmercury (MeHg) exposure during pregnancy is an important issue due to its possible adverse health effects on fetus. To contribute the development of assessment system of Hg exposure through fish consumption and health effects on children, we examined the hair Hg levels in pregnant women and birth weight and length. (2) Methods: In 2018, a cohort study was conducted on 118 pregnant women-infant pairs from six community health centers in the northern coastal area in Central Java Indonesia. Data on mothers' characteristics during pregnancy, birth outcomes, and fish consumption were collected. Total Hg concentrations were determined from hair samples. (3) Results: The median (min-max) of the maternal hair Hg level was 0.434 (0.146-8.105) µg/g. Pregnant women living in lowland areas, near the sea, showed higher hair Hg concentration and fish consumption than those in highland areas {[0.465 (0.146-8.105) vs. 0.385 (0.150-1.956) µg/g; p = 0.043] and [(85.71 (0-500.0) vs. 49.76 (0.0-428.57) g/day; p < 0.01], respectively}. The maternal hair Hg level had no association with baby's birth weight and length. (4) Conclusions: The median maternal hair Hg is at a low level and had no association with infant birth weight and length in this study subjects.

Healthier diet associated with reduced risk of excessive gestational weight gain: A Chinese prospective cohort study

Limited studies have examined the associations between diet quality and gestational weight gain (GWG) among Chinese pregnant women, adopting Chinese GWG guidelines. We prospectively investigate the associations of diet quality, using the Chinese Healthy Diet Index for Pregnancy (CHDI-P), which assessed diet quality from 'Diversity', 'Adequacy' and 'Limitation' dimensions with overall 100 points, with GWG among participants enroled in Southwest China. Food consumption was collected by 24 h dietary recalls for three consecutive days and CHDI-P scores were divided into tertiles. GWG was calculated according to the weight measured before delivery and classified into adequate weight gain (AWG), insufficient weight gain (IWG) and excessive weight gain(EWG) following Chinese GWG guidelines. Multinomial regression analyses and stratified analyses by pre-pregnancy body mass index were performed to estimate the association between CHDI-P and GWG. A total of 1416 participants were recruited in early pregnancy, and 971 and 997 participants were respectively followed up in middle and late pregnancy. The mean CHDI-P score was 56.44 ± 6.74, 57.07 ± 7.44 and 57.38 ± 7.94 points in early, middle and late pregnancy, respectively. Women in the lowest CHDI-P scores group had an increased risk of EWG in middle (OR = 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08-2.17) and late pregnancy (OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.21-2.41) than women in the highest group, while overweight/obese women had a greater risk of EWG in late pregnancy (OR = 4.25, 95% CI = 1.30-13.90). No association was found between the CHDI-P scores and IWG. Poor diet quality in middle and late pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of EWG.

Affordability influences nutritional quality of seafood consumption among income and race/ethnicity groups in the United States

BACKGROUND

The 2020 US Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that the US population consume more seafood. Most analyses of seafood consumption ignore heterogeneity in consumption patterns by species, nutritional content, production methods, and price, which have implications for applying recommendations.

OBJECTIVES

We assessed seafood intake among adults by socioeconomic and demographic groups, as well as the cost of seafood at retail to identify affordable and nutritious options.

METHODS

NHANES 2011-2018 dietary data (n = 17,559 total, n = 3285 eating seafood) were used to assess adult (≥20 y) intake of seafood in relation to income and race/ethnicity. Multivariable linear regression assessed the association between seafood consumption and income, adjusted for age, sex, and race/ethnicity, and the association between nutrients and seafood price, using Nielsen 2017-2019 retail sales data, adjusted for sales volume.

RESULTS

Low-income groups consume slightly less seafood than high-income groups [low income: mean 120.2 (95% CI: 103.5, 137.2) g/wk; high income: 141.8 (119.1, 164.1) g/wk] but substantially less seafood that is high in long-chain n-3 (ω-3) PUFAs [lower income: 21.3 (17.3, 25.5) g/wk; higher income: 46.8 (35.4, 57.8) g/wk]. Intake rates, species, and production method choices varied by race/ethnicity groups and within race/ethnicity groups by income. Retail seafood as a whole costs more than other protein foods (e.g., meat, poultry, eggs, beans), and fresh seafood high in n-3 PUFAs costs more (P < 0.002) than fresh seafood low in n-3 PUFAs. Retail seafood is available in a wide range of price points and product forms, and some lower-cost fish and shellfish were high in n-3 PUFAs, calcium, iron, selenium, and vitamins B-12 and D.

CONCLUSIONS

New insights into the relation between seafood affordability and consumption patterns among income and ethnicity groups suggest that specific policies and interventions may be needed to enhance the consumption of seafood by different groups.

The impact of aromatic plant-derived bioactive compounds on seafood quality and safety

Plant-derived bioactive compounds have been extensively studied and used within food industry for the last few decades. Those compounds have been used to extend the shelf-life and improve physico-chemical and sensory properties on food products. They have also been used as nutraceuticals due to broad range of potential health-promoting properties. Unlike the synthetic additives, the natural plant-derived compounds are more acceptable and often regarded as safer by the consumers. This chapter summarizes the extraction methods and sources of those plant-derived bioactives as well as recent findings in relation to their health-promoting properties, including cardio-protective, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, immuno-modulatory and neuro-protective properties. In addition, the impact of applying those plant-derived compounds on seafood products is also investigated by reviewing the recent studies on their use as anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, coloring and flavoring agents as well as freshness indicators. Moreover, the current limitations of the use of plant-derived bioactive compounds as well as future prospects are discussed. The discoveries show high potential of those compounds and the possibility to apply on many different seafood. The compounds can be applied as individual while more and more studies are showing synergetic effect when those compounds are used in combination providing new important research possibilities.

Trade and foreign fishing mediate global marine nutrient supply

SignificanceThe world produces enough food to nourish the global population, but inequitable distribution of food means many people remain at risk for undernutrition. Attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 2 relies on greater attention to distribution processes that match food qualities with dietary deficiencies. We explore this in the context of fisheries. Foreign fishing and international trade divert nutrients caught in marine fisheries from nutrient-insecure toward nutrient-secure nations. Where nutrient-insecure countries do benefit from foreign fishing and trade, there tends to be high vulnerability to future changes in nutrient flows arising from changes to foreign fishing and trade. This research highlights the need for greater transparency around distribution of fish and for nutrition security to be considered more centrally in development of trade agreements.

Comprehensive lipidomic analysis of the lipids extracted from freshwater fish bones and crustacean shells

A comprehensive lipidomic analysis of the lipids extracted from grass carp bones, black carp bones, shrimp shells, and crab shells was performed in this study. First, HPLC analysis revealed that the lipids extracted from shrimp and crab shells contained 60.65% and 77.25% of diacylglycerols, respectively. Second, GC-MS analysis identified 18 fatty acid species in the lipids extracted from fish bones and crustacean shells, in which polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were highly enriched. PUFAs were present at 45.43% in the lipids extracted from shrimp shells. Notably, the lipids extracted from shrimp and crab shells contained a considerable amount of eicosapentaenoic acids and docosahexaenoic acids. Finally, multidimensional mass spectrometry-based shotgun lipidomics showed that various lipids including acetyl-L-carnitine, sphingomyelin (SM), lysophosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylcholine (PC) were all identified in the lipid samples, but PC and SM were the most abundant. Specifically, the total content of PC in shrimp shells was as high as 6.145 mmol/g. More than 35 species of PC were found in all samples, which were more than other lipids. This study is expected to provide a scientific basis for the application of freshwater fish bones and crustacean shells in food, medicine, and other fields.

Aquatic foods to nourish nations

Despite contributing to healthy diets for billions of people, aquatic foods are often undervalued as a nutritional solution because their diversity is often reduced to the protein and energy value of a single food type ('seafood' or 'fish')1-4. Here we create a cohesive model that unites terrestrial foods with nearly 3,000 taxa of aquatic foods to understand the future impact of aquatic foods on human nutrition. We project two plausible futures to 2030: a baseline scenario with moderate growth in aquatic animal-source food (AASF) production, and a high-production scenario with a 15-million-tonne increased supply of AASFs over the business-as-usual scenario in 2030, driven largely by investment and innovation in aquaculture production. By comparing changes in AASF consumption between the scenarios, we elucidate geographic and demographic vulnerabilities and estimate health impacts from diet-related causes. Globally, we find that a high-production scenario will decrease AASF prices by 26% and increase their consumption, thereby reducing the consumption of red and processed meats that can lead to diet-related non-communicable diseases5,6 while also preventing approximately 166 million cases of inadequate micronutrient intake. This finding provides a broad evidentiary basis for policy makers and development stakeholders to capitalize on the potential of aquatic foods to reduce food and nutrition insecurity and tackle malnutrition in all its forms.

Cultivated and Wild Juvenile Thick-Lipped Grey Mullet, Chelon labrosus: A Comparison from a Nutritional Point of View

The thick-lipped grey mullet (Chelon labrosus) is a nominee fish species for aquaculture diversification in Spain because it is an omnivore and euryhaline species, but limited knowledge about the nutritional attributes of this species is available. This study aimed to characterize the chemical composition of wild and cultured fish. The muscle proximate composition, and fatty acid and amino acid profiles were assessed. The cultivated specimens showed a higher lipid content and lower protein and ash contents compared with the wild specimens. The predominant tissue fatty acids in both the wild and cultivated fish were palmitic acid (16:0), oleic acid (18:1n-9) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3). A higher content of arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n-6), eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) and DHA were detected in the muscle of wild mullets, while the fish supplied with commercial pellets showed higher quantities of monounsaturated fatty acids, and lower quantities of saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Regarding PUFAs, n-3 fatty acids were predominant in wild mullets, while n-6 and n-9 were more abundant in farmed fish. In terms of amino acid composition, except for histidine in wild specimens, the amino acid amounts were higher than the FAO/WHO standard. In conclusion, C. labrosus may contribute to improving the dietary intake of highly polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acids, with a benefit to human health, owing to that fact that a 100-g fillet portion of cultivated and wild C. labrosus can provide 770 mg and 1160 mg of EPA and DHA, respectively, which exceeds the 250 mg dietary daily intake recommended by the FAO/WHO.