More than half (55%) of seafood consumers doubt that the seafood they consume is what it says on the packet, according to early results from the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) latest survey.
More than 16,000 seafood consumers took part from 21 countries, and 65% of those purchasing seafood say they want to know that their fish can be traced back to a known and trusted source. Six in 10 (63%) say that they look to ecolabels as a trusted source of information.
The findings come as the MSC releases results from its DNA testing of MSC labelled seafood products. In 2015, the MSC commissioned the Wildlife DNA Forensics unit at Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) to conduct DNA tests on a random sample of 257 MSC labelled seafood products from 16 countries. The test verifies that the species described on the packaging is the same as that in the product. The DNA test results show that over 99% of MSC labelled products are correctly labelled.
Commenting on the results, MSC CEO Rupert Howes said, “Given a recent academic study showing that globally around 30% of seafood is mislabelled, the results of the MSC’s DNA testing program are very positive. Seafood sold with the blue MSC label can be traced back to a sustainable source, and our robust chain of custody requirements provide reassurance that it’s correctly labelled.”
The latest round of DNA testing is the fifth to be commissioned by the MSC. Previous results also showed very little mislabelling of MSC labelled seafood. The MSC’s DNA testing program and results are captured in a new report, Ocean to plate: How DNA testing helps to ensure traceable sustainable seafood.
There are now more than 20,000 MSC labelled products available in around 100 countries. To accompany the test findings, the MSC has released a new animation for consumers showing the journey of MSC certified seafood from ocean to plate.
