
Sushi’s Fake Tuna Problem - simonebrunozzi
https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/sushis-fake-tuna-problem-533edbd89ddf
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rapjr9
Perhaps SCiO's near infrared spectral analyzer could provide some info about
fish? Possibly the species, maybe the freshness or adulteration. I think mine
cost $400 many years ago, not sure if they are selling to consumers any more.
They seem to be selling to farmers for testing corn and feed:

[https://www.consumerphysics.com/](https://www.consumerphysics.com/)

The development kit to develop your own IR profiles is listed on Amazon for
$1300.

This list of research papers from the "9th International Symposium on RECENT
ADVANCES IN FOOD ANALYSIS":

[http://www.rafa2019.eu/pdf/Program%20RAFA%202019_FINAL_web.p...](http://www.rafa2019.eu/pdf/Program%20RAFA%202019_FINAL_web.pdf)

suggests that an IR spectrometer can tell if water is added to tuna (search
for "tuna", it's the second occurrence). If you also search on "fish" in that
document you'll find a variety of methods being explored to find the presence
of various things in fish (toxins, using PCR to test for DNA to detect fraud,
histamine, arsenic, dioxin, microplastics, Bisphenol).

PCR tests for Covid-19 seem to cost around $100. Seems like spot checking of
tuna using PCR to see if it is really tuna would be doable and would bring the
market under control, eliminating fraud. Fishing interests would likely be
aligned against that, though maybe not if it leveled the playing field.

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lacker
I’ve always been curious about the fake-fish situation but it feels like
there’s nothing I can do about it. It would be neat if I could get a cheap
little pocket-sized DNA tester that I could test fish with. AFAICT the
technology isn’t quite there yet but maybe future generations will be able to
DNA test their food as casually as I would snap a picture with my phone.

