Phl now capable of fish DNA fingerprinting

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is now capable of DNA fingerprinting for fisheries which is critical in food safety and in ensuring that global markets can trace the origin of fishery products.  

The National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) is now utilizing DNA barcoding to reveal the genetic material of fish species.  

The country’s capability in ensuring fishery food safety and supply traceability is critical for the fishery sector.

The Philippines is considered sixth in world fishery production, ninth in aquaculture, and third in aquatic plant production, primarily seaweeds.  

Without accurate identification of fish species through DNA barcoding, mislabeling of fishery species may occur. 

Consumers may be misled into paying more than the actual value of goods they are buying, according to NFRDI’s Benedict A. Maralit and five co-authors in their entry at the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR)-National Research Symposium (NRS).  

“DNA barcoding can differentiate between closely related species that are hard to tell apart, especially large fishes that are difficult to bring back from the field. It can identify products like fish fillets so you know if the grouper you ordered in a restaurant is really a grouper,” said Dr. Mudjekeewis D. Santos, senior author of the NFRDI Genetic Fingerprinting Laboratory (GFL).    

Their study won a silver award at the 2011 BAR-NRS.  

Research in fisheries is among the priorities of BAR as the country’s archipelagic nature provides for a rich food resource useful not only for generating livelihood but enabling value-adding in products that can be exported.

Ensuring these products are food-safe is a major consideration amid the stricter sanitary and phytosanitary standards of importing countries.

“Food safety has already become a necessity for our fishery industry to survive in the international market.  It is also important in ensuring that what we import is safe to eat,” said BAR director Nicomedes P. Eleazar.  

Certain export destinations have started requiring traceability, or identification of food origin, as a requirement to suppliers.  For instance, the European Union law EC No. 2065/2001 requests appropriate species traceability and proper labeling.  

“Global trade negotiations require a stringent line of certifications on accurate labeling and species traceability. National trade policies should comply to increase international competitiveness and ensure food security, sustainability and safety,” the researchers said.   

Headed by Dr. Santos, Maralit is accompanied by Roselyn D. Aguila, Minerva Fatimae H. Ventolero and Sweedy Kay L. Perez of the NFRDI-GFL and Dr. Demian A. Willete of the Old Dominion University.  

DNA barcoding is also essential in encouraging the industry to comply with labeling provisions of the Consumer Act or Republic Act (RA) 7394 and the Fisheries Code of the Philippines, RA 8550.  

For fishery managers and researchers, DNA barcoding can legally verify fishes caught as by-catch and species under regulation. This is important in protecting endangered species and sustaining fish population.

Six fishery products, some of which are priced expensively in restaurants –¡¡ have been identified properly by the NFRDI-GFL through DNA barcoding to distinguish these species and correct the mislabeling. 

Among the mislabeled fishery products are fresh tawilis sardines, blue fin tuna slices, tuna sashimi and fillets, whole and headless shrimp products, cream dory slices, and gindara steaks.  

“It is important to identify the correct species as there is, for example, a gindara species that is not safe to eat.  Tuna may also be identified commercially as the more expensive blue fin tuna when in fact it’s just a yellow fin tuna,” said Maralit.  

The NFRDI study found out that the Sardinella tawilis species sold in identified supermarkets is not really S. tawilis but another species, S. fimbriata.  

Cream dory, for instance, is a fish coming from the family of Pangasius originating from Mekong Delta in Vietnam. While in the study cream dory was labeled correctly, ensuring it is the correct cream dory species will guarantee quality in light of the proliferation of fish fillets in the market.

In its study, the NFRDI recommended a national program for the correct labeling of fishery products.  

“A valuable effort should be placed to create a strong and standardized monitoring program and evoke consumer awareness on several aspects of accurate labeling information.”      

International standards on food safety have been raised as a significant concern while countries were yet negotiating on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) since 1948. 

GATT is the predecessor of trade liberalization rules now under the World Trade Organization.