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Spencer ET, Richards E, Steinwand B, Clemons J, Dahringer J, Desai P, Fisher M, Fussell S, Gorman O, Jones D, Le A, Long K, McMahan C, Moscarito C, Pelay C, Price E, Smith A, VanSant A, Bruno JF. A high proportion of red snapper sold in North Carolina is mislabeled. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9218. [PMID: 32617188 PMCID: PMC7321663 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Seafood mislabeling occurs when a market label is inaccurate, primarily in terms of species identity, but also regarding weight, geographic origin, or other characteristics. This widespread problem allows cheaper or illegally-caught species to be marketed as species desirable to consumers. Previous studies have identified red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) as one of the most frequently mislabeled seafood species in the United States. To quantify how common mislabeling of red snapper is across North Carolina, the Seafood Forensics class at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill used DNA barcoding to analyze samples sold as "red snapper" from restaurants, seafood markets, and grocery stores purchased in ten counties. Of 43 samples successfully sequenced and identified, 90.7% were mislabeled. Only one grocery store chain (of four chains tested) accurately labeled red snapper. The mislabeling rate for restaurants and seafood markets was 100%. Vermilion snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens) and tilapia (Oreochromis aureus and O. niloticus) were the species most frequently substituted for red snapper (13 of 39 mislabeled samples for both taxa, or 26 of 39 mislabeled total). This study builds on previous mislabeling research by collecting samples of a specific species in a confined geographic region, allowing local vendors and policy makers to better understand the scope of red snapper mislabeling in North Carolina. This methodology is also a model for other academic institutions to engage undergraduate researchers in mislabeling data collection, sample processing, and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin T Spencer
- Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Emilie Richards
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Blaire Steinwand
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Juliette Clemons
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Jessica Dahringer
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Priya Desai
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Morgan Fisher
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Sloane Fussell
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Olivia Gorman
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Diamond Jones
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Amanda Le
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Kayla Long
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Cammie McMahan
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Caitlin Moscarito
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Catherine Pelay
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Erica Price
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Anna Smith
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Allison VanSant
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - John F Bruno
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
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