Implementation of a pilot checklist for control standardization on fishery goods consignments at the Livorno border control post.

To standardize control activities, it is necessary to introduce checklists to support the control of consignments entering the European Union through border control posts (BCPs). This study aimed to develop a pilot checklist for the control of fishery consignments, preliminarily identified as the predominant group of goods entering the Livorno (Italy) BCP. The design of the pilot checklist was preceded by i) a revision of the current European and national legislation on the general and specific objectives of border control activities on fishery products and ii) a comparative analysis of two checklists (one of the Ministry of Health and one of the former Livorno border inspection post) developed on the basis of the repealed legislation.

Mapping the occurrence of spp. in fish species caught from six lakes in Central Italy (Tuscany and Latium regions): Implications for local fishery supply chains.

In the present study, in order to expand the knowledge on the distribution of parasites of the genus in never investigated Italian lacustrine areas of Tuscany and Latium, fish specimens from four Tuscan lakes (Bilancino, Chiusi, Montedoglio and San Cipriano) and two Latium lakes (Bolsena and Bracciano) were collected and analyzed. The parasitological analysis, consisting of a visual inspection followed by a chloro-peptic digestion, was performed on 1650 specimens belonging to 17 species: European perch (), Pumpkinseed (), Pike-perch (), Largemouth black bass (), Pike (), Big-scale sand smelt (), Tench (), European Whitefish (), Channel catfish (), Chub (), Rudd (), Common bleak (), South European roach (), South European nase (), Italian riffle dace (), Goldfish (), and Freshwater bream (). spp.

Accidental discovery of a Tetraodontidae () within a cuttlefish () bought in a fish shop in Italy: risk assessment associated with the presence of Tetrodotoxin.

The discovery of a pufferfish specimen (Tetraodontidae) inside a frozen cuttlefish, purchased by a fishmonger, and caught in the Eastern Central Atlantic (FAO 34) is reported. The consumer, who reported this case to FishLab (Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa) for investigation, was a student of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pisa. He recognized the Tetraodontidae because he attended practical lessons on fish morphological identification during the course of food inspection and was aware of the risks to human health linked to the Tetrodotoxin (TTX).

An Authentication Survey on Retail Seafood Products Sold on the Bulgarian Market Underlines the Need for Upgrading the Traceability System.

Economically motivated or accidental species substitutions lead to economic and potential health damage to consumers with a loss of confidence in the fishery supply chain. In the present study, a three-year survey on 199 retail seafood products sold on the Bulgarian market was addressed to assess: (1) product authenticity by molecular identification; (2) trade name compliance to the list of official trade names accepted in the territory; (3) adherence of the list in force to the market supply. DNA barcoding on mitochondrial and nuclear genes was applied for the identification of whitefish (WF), crustaceans (C) and mollusks (cephalopods-MC; gastropods-MG; bivalves-MB) except for sp.

Safety and commercial issues in fresh mushrooms and mushroom-based products sold at retail in Tuscany region.

The compliance to European and National safety and labelling requirements relating to the sale of spontaneous and cultivated mushrooms and mushroom-based products in Tuscany was assessed. The evidence was collected by the Mycological Inspectorate of North-West Tuscany Local Health Authority during 90 inspections (from 2016 to 2020) at large-scale distribution stores, wholesalers, and restaurants in 10 cities belonging to 3 provinces, and on the labelling analysis of 98 commercial products collected at retail in 2021. Despite a substantial compliance of the inspected activities and products with the regulatory requirements, critical issues were highlighted: 1) EU legislative gap in the definition of specific measures for the safe sale of spontaneous mushrooms; 2) improper shelf storage temperatures of fresh-cut products; 3) incorrect condition of use on the labels of pre-packaged products; 4) lack of countryof- origin declaration in pre-packaged products.

Risks and critical issues related to the discovery on the market of unauthorized live alien species on the Italian territory: Chinese crab ().

, Chinese Crab or Chinese Mitten Crab is a catadromous species belonging to the Varunidae family, native to river and estuarine areas of North and South East China and Korea. At European level, is widespread in the main water basins of Central and Northern Europe and, since 2016, it has been included in the list of invasive species important for the European Union and subjected to confinement and eradication measures which include the prohibition of collection, transit and placing on the market of live specimens (Regulation (EC) N° 1143/2014). The Chinese Crab can represent a significant danger for the local ecosystem and for the native biota as well as contributing to the appearance of hydrogeological instability phenomena resulting from the intense excavation and erosion of the riverbanks.

Urban Consumer Trust and Food Certifications in China.

China has experienced frequent food safety incidents that have undermined consumer trust in the food supply chain. To overcome this problem, China requalified the legislative framework and adopted a comprehensive food certification system over the years. Here, we investigated the influences of food traceability and Chinese certifications (QS/SC-food quality safety market access/production system, hazard-free, green, and organic) on Chinese consumer trust of food safety for different types of products: fish, meat, milk, eggs, and rice.

DNA barcoding for the verification of supplier's compliance in the seafood chain: How the lab can support companies in ensuring traceability.

Food Business Operators (FBOs) rely on laboratory analysis to ensure seafood traceability. DNA barcoding and Forensically Informative Nucleotide Sequencing may represent a support within self-checking programs finalized to suppliers' qualification and products identity certification. The present study aimed at verifying the usefulness of a decisional procedure (decision tree) set up at the FishLab (Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Italy) for seafood species identification by DNA analysis, to cope with FBOs' needs.

Seafood Identification in Multispecies Products: Assessment of 16SrRNA, cytb, and COI Universal Primers' Efficiency as a Preliminary Analytical Step for Setting up Metabarcoding Next-Generation Sequencing Techniques.

Few studies applying NGS have been conducted in the food inspection field, particularly on multispecies seafood products. A preliminary study screening the performance and the potential application in NGS analysis of 14 "universal primers" amplifying 16SrRNA, cytb, and COI genes in fish and cephalopods was performed. Species used in surimi preparation were chosen as target.

Serum responsiveness to recombinant bovine somatotropin in buffalo: a three-month lactation study using an acid-stripping ELISA for screening.

The misuse of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) to increase milk yield involves buffalo not just cows. Screening methods to identify rbST-treated cattle have already been proposed. However, there have been no studies on prolonged periods with a high number of animals.

Pentaplex PCR as screening assay for jellyfish species identification in food products.

Salted jellyfish, a traditional food in Asian Countries, is nowadays spreading on the Western markets. In this work, we developed a Pentaplex PCR for the identification of five edible species (Nemopilema nomurai, Rhopilema esculentum, Rhizostoma pulmo, Pelagia noctiluca, and Cotylorhiza tuberculata), which cannot be identified by a mere visual inspection in jellyfish products sold as food. A common degenerated forward primer and five specie-specific reverse primers were designed to amplify COI gene regions of different lengths.

Two alternative multiplex PCRs for the identification of the seven species of anglerfish (Lophius spp.) using an end-point or a melting curve analysis real-time protocol.

Anglerfish (Lophius spp.) is consumed worldwide and is an important economic resource though its seven species are often fraudulently interchanged due to their different commercial value, especially when sold in the form of fillets or pieces. Molecular analysis is the only possible mean to verify traceability and counteract fraud.