If you sit down at a Gulf Coast restaurant, you probably expect Gulf Coast shrimp on your plate. Increasingly, that’s turning out not to be the case. Many restaurants are sourcing their shrimp from thousands of miles away while keeping the heftier prices generally associated with using local seafood.
A newly developed genetic test can help quickly pinpoint the origin of seafood species and could go a long way in combating seafood mislabeling. However, it requires some red tape and time to implement and may take a while to actually be in use to help Gulf Coast shrimpers.
The DNA-based authenticity test (specifically targeting shrimp) identifies species authenticity. It was developed by researchers at Florida State University who hope to see more widespread implementation to help sort out with more clarity where restaurants are sourcing their seafood from. However, with a lengthy process until this testing can become standard, consumers may have to wait a while for that transparency…