BBC Test Uncovers 'Fish Fraud'

Tests commissioned by BBC Northern Ireland have found some food products, labelled as cod, do not contain actually contain any cod at all.

The results came following a BBC NI request to Belfast's Institute for Global Food Security to examine 30 foods.

The move was a result of the recent horsemeat scare, according to the BBC.

Two out of 10 products, labelled as cod, did not contain any traces of that fish whatsoever.

The institute said cheaper types of fish were being used instead. The institute is based at Queen's University, Belfast.

Director Professor Chris Elliott has described the findings as "fish fraud".

"People are buying cod, which is a high value fish, and actually they are getting a low value fish," he told the BBC.

He said it was "another example of the integrity of the food chain being shown to be substandard".

Last month, the BBC bought 30 food products at random from supermarkets, shops and butchers in Belfast and elsewhere in Northern Ireland and submitted them to the institute for testing.

Ten products labelled as beef were tested by QUB for traces of horsemeat. Ten processed lamb products were tested for cross-contamination with pork. All samples were found to be as described on the labelling, according to the BBC.

But Queen's then sent 10 cod products to an institute in Scotland for DNA testing.

"Only in eight of the 10 cases they could find cod being present," said Professor Elliott.

"Does it have an impact on safety? Really, it does not. People are buying cod, which is a high value fish, and actually they are getting a low value fish. The industry has to take this seriously."

The Northern Ireland Retail Consortium said any labelling issue was of concern.

Its director, Aodhán Connolly, told the BBC: "It alarms me it could be a knock for consumer confidence.

"We have a series of audits. Otherwise we would not be able to tell consumers what species they are buying, how it was caught, or even what region it is from.

"We are always confident those processes are in place. If you are saying there have been problems identified then we will step up to the plate."

(IT/H)