Restaurants to Use Fish DNA Barcode Technology to Identify Species
An expert in genetic identification has claimed that restaurants across the globe will soon use state of the art DNA technology to test fish so that customers can confirm they are being served the genuine fish they ordered rather than a cheaper substitute.
The technique would involve a form of “DNA barcoding,” which has already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October.
The DNA barcoding is able to identify the species of fish in a similar way that a supermarket barcode reader works, according to AP.
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David Schindel, executive secretary of the Washington-based Consortium for the Barcode of Life, has already commenced talks with leaders within the restaurant industry about implementing the technology.
Schindel has said, “When they sell something that's really expensive, they want the consumer to believe that they're getting what they're paying for,” according to AP.
He added: “We're going to start seeing a self-regulating movement by the high-end trade embracing barcoding as a mark of quality.”
The Barcode of Life Database currently stores information on more than 167,000 species according to AP. The earth, in comparison, has approximately 1.8 known species.
