About this course
This course introduces food authenticity testing — the practice of scientifically verifying that a product contains the species and ingredients declared on its label. The best-documented application is seafood: because fish are commonly sold as fillets, steaks, or minced products with no distinguishing external features, species substitution has been repeatedly documented in the seafood supply chain worldwide.
The driving concern is economically motivated adulteration (EMA) — deliberately substituting a lower-cost species or ingredient for a higher-value one for financial gain. DNA barcoding, which compares a short standardized genetic sequence against reference databases, is widely regarded as the most reliable tool for confirming species identity in processed products where visual identification is no longer possible. The same authenticity-testing principles extend beyond seafood to other products vulnerable to substitution, such as certain meats, honey, and specialty ingredients.
This course is intended for QA and procurement staff responsible for supplier verification, incoming inspection of seafood or other fraud-prone commodities, and label accuracy claims.
After completing this course, learners will understand why species substitution occurs and where it is most likely in the supply chain, know how DNA barcoding works at a conceptual level and what it can and cannot tell you, and be able to build supplier verification and periodic testing into a receiving and label-accuracy program.
Topics covered
- What food fraud and economically motivated adulteration are
- Why seafood is especially vulnerable to species substitution
- How DNA barcoding identifies species in processed food products
- Building supplier verification and spot-check testing into receiving
- Documenting authenticity testing to support label claims
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