The increased demand for fish, the call for greater safety requirements from markets and consumers and the globalization of fish trade have all made safety and quality of fish products a key issue. The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) requires that international standards be based on scientific evidence. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) provides scientific advice to CAC and other standard-setting organizations as well as to member countries through the organization of expert and technical consultations related to fish safety and quality in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), and through participation in the works of expert committees and the publication of technical documents.
This paper was prepared by Dr Iciar Martinez, FAO Visiting Scientist, in collaboration with David James and Henri Loréal of the FAO Fisheries Department, Fish Utilization and Marketing Service, and is intended to provide an overview of the application of some analytical techniques to ensure seafood safety and authenticity.
An advance copy of this Technical Paper was distributed at the twenty-sixth session of the Codex Committee for Fish and Fishery Products held in Alesund, Norway, from 13 to 17 October 2003 as FAO’s contribution to the issues related to fishery product authentication and to the Codex procedure for inclusion of new species in Codex Standards.
Distribution:
All FAO Members
FAO Fisheries
Department - Selected addresses
FAO Regional and Subregional Fisheries
Officers
FAO Fisheries Department Mailing List (FIIU)
