Elemental Fingerprinting of Wild and Farmed Fish Muscle to Authenticate and Validate Production Method
Renato Mamede,
Irina A. Duarte,
Isabel Caçador,
Patrick Reis-Santos,
Rita P. Vasconcelos,
Carla Gameiro,
Paula Canada,
Pedro Ré,
Susanne E. Tanner,
Vanessa F. Fonseca,
Bernardo Duarte
Affiliations
Renato Mamede
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Irina A. Duarte
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Isabel Caçador
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Patrick Reis-Santos
Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Rita P. Vasconcelos
IPMA—Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Av. Dr. Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1495-165 Algés, Portugal
Carla Gameiro
IPMA—Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Av. Dr. Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1495-165 Algés, Portugal
Paula Canada
Oceanic Observatory of Madeira, ARDITI, Madeira Tecnopolo, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
Pedro Ré
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal
Susanne E. Tanner
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Vanessa F. Fonseca
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Bernardo Duarte
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
In the context of expanding fish production and complex distribution chains, traceability, provenance and food safety tools are becoming increasingly important. Here, we compare the elemental fingerprints of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) muscle from wild and different aquaculture productions (semi-intensive earth ponds and intensive sea cages from two locations) to confirm their origin and evaluate the concentrations of elements with regulatory thresholds (Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn). Using a chemometric approach based on multi-elemental signatures, the sample origin was determined with an overall accuracy of 90%. Furthermore, in a model built to replicate a real-case scenario where it would be necessary to trace the production method of S. aurata without reliable information about its harvesting location, 27 of the 30 samples were correctly allocated to their original production method (sea-cage aquaculture), despite being from another location. The concentrations of the regulated elements ranged as follows: Cu (0.140–1.139 mg/Kg), Hg (0–0.506 mg/Kg), Pb (0–2.703 mg/Kg) and Zn (6.502–18.807 mg/Kg), with only Pb presenting concentrations consistently above the recommended limit for human consumption. The present findings contribute to establishing elemental fingerprinting as a reliable tool to trace fish production methods and underpin seafood authentication.
