Food Control最新文献

{"title":"Blockchain technology for risk management in food supply chain: A systematic literature review on emerging themes and sustainability implications","authors":"Shang-Ching Kuei,&nbsp;Mu-Chen Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111689","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111689","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Food supply chains (FSCs) are increasingly vulnerable to systemic disruptions, intensified by black swan events and growing sustainability demands. Blockchain technology (BCT) has emerged as a key enabler of transparency, traceability, and decentralized coordination in FSCs. This study conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) of 68 peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2025, applying the context-intervention-mechanism-outcome (CIMO) framework for analysis and strategic topic mapping using SciMAT. This study introduces the Dynamic Supply Chain Capability (DSCC) lens to assess BCT's strategic role in FSCs. Findings reveal that BCT primarily supports risk identification and monitoring through traceability and immutable data recording, with adoption driven by trust-building and responsiveness to disruption. Despite increasing interest in BCT in FSCs, its integration with AI and other technologies for precision farming and food distribution remains underexplored. In addition, by mapping existing studies to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this study finds that SDG 2 and SDG 12 are the most frequently addressed, while SDG 8, SDG 10, SDG 13, and SDG 16 present promising areas for future investigation. This study contributes by synthesizing risk types, SCRM process alignment, and sustainability linkages, while identifying future research potential in BCT-enabled Agriculture 4.0 and food distribution systems amid rising global uncertainties. The findings offer both conceptual insights and practical guidance for integrating BCT into resilient and inclusive FSC strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"181 ","pages":"Article 111689"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potential evaluation of volatile organic compounds produced by Wickerhamomyces subpelliculosus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as bio-fumigants for controlling Aspergillus flavus spoilage and aflatoxin contamination in dates","authors":"Islem Dammak ,&nbsp;Ahlam Khallaf ,&nbsp;Myriam Lamine ,&nbsp;Salma Lasram ,&nbsp;Imen Ben Atitallah ,&nbsp;Zohra Hamdi ,&nbsp;Synda Chenenaoui ,&nbsp;Hatem Zaghden ,&nbsp;Tahar Mechichi ,&nbsp;Ahmed Mliki ,&nbsp;Sami Sayadi ,&nbsp;Mahmoud Gargouri","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111693","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111693","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the antifungal and anti-aflatoxigenic potential of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by <em>Wickerhamomyces subpelliculosus</em> Y7, <em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em> X19G2, and their combined culture (Y7–X19G2) as biofumigants to protect stored date fruits from contamination by the aflatoxigenic fungus <em>Aspergillus flavus</em>. Ethyl acetate and ethanol were the major VOCs produced by Y7 and X19G2, respectively. Notably, co-culturing Y7 and X19G2 enhanced ethyl acetate production while reducing ethanol levels. VOCs from both individual strains and their combination significantly suppressed <em>A. flavus</em> mycelial growth and sporulation by up to 47 % and 95 %, respectively and completely inhibited aflatoxins B₁ and B₂ (AFB₁ and AFB₂) <em>in vitro</em>. Bio-fumigation of dates with VOCs from Y7, X19G2, and Y7–X19G2 effectively controlled <em>A. flavus</em> growth on dates, achieving more than 99.6 % inhibition. Moreover, AFB₁ and AFB₂ production was fully suppressed by X19G2 and Y7–X19G2 VOCs, while Y7 VOCs alone reduced AFB₁ and AFB₂ by 97 % and 87.8 %, respectively. These findings, along with the complete absence of sensory quality deterioration in dates, demonstrate the strong potential of VOCs from <em>W. subpelliculosus</em>, <em>S. cerevisiae</em>, and their co-culture as eco-friendly biofumigants to mitigate aflatoxin contamination in stored dates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"181 ","pages":"Article 111693"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145005258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-sensor fusion with optimized machine learning for non-destructive freshness monitoring of stored Korla fragrant pears","authors":"Zhongbiao He ,&nbsp;Jiahao Yu ,&nbsp;Xue Zhou ,&nbsp;Tengfei Tang ,&nbsp;Bin Chen ,&nbsp;Huibing Wang ,&nbsp;Jingqi Gong ,&nbsp;Jiashuo Shi ,&nbsp;Xiaoshuan Zhang ,&nbsp;Yongman Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111692","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111692","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traditional freshness assessment methods for Korla fragrant pears are limited by inefficiency, high cost, and reliance on subjective or destructive evaluations. This study proposes a non-destructive, multi-sensor fusion approach that integrates gas composition (O₂, CO₂, VOC), environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, PM_2.5, pressure), and dielectric properties (C, D, ε). Data were analyzed using machine learning models (BPNN, SVM, RF), optimized via genetic algorithms (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). A dielectric-based grading standard (L₁–L₄) was also developed. Dielectric parameters correlated strongly with key freshness indicators (<em>r</em> = 0.86 for firmness; <em>r</em> = 0.88 for SSC). The PSO-SVM model with a gaussian kernel achieved 97.50 % accuracy and a 97.49 % F1-score, with 0.54 % deviation. Multi-source fusion significantly outperformed single-sensor models, as shown by the low accuracy (47.12 % ± 2.35 %) of gas-only data. A NET-based monitoring platform demonstrated 97.74 % data acquisition accuracy. These findings highlight a low-cost solution for real-time freshness monitoring, offering substantial improvements over traditional methods and supporting intelligent quality control in fruit storage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"181 ","pages":"Article 111692"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144997668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An overview of the physical, chemical and biological strategies for the removal of emerging mycotoxins: Recent advances and future perspectives","authors":"Jiayi Yao ,&nbsp;Binbin Ouyang ,&nbsp;Wei Xu ,&nbsp;Yanli Xie ,&nbsp;Wanmeng Mu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111700","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111700","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Emerging mycotoxins are defined as fungal toxins that are widely distributed and frequently detected, but have not yet been incorporated into routine monitoring, regulatory frameworks, or established maximum residue limits. The <em>Fusarium</em> sp., <em>Alternaria</em> sp., <em>Aspergillus</em> and <em>Penicillium</em> sp. are the main source for the emerging mycotoxins including beauvericin (BEA), enniatins (ENNs), moniliformin (MON), alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), tenuazonic acid (TeA), tentoxin (TEN), sterigmatocystin (STC) and citrinin (CIT). The presence of these emerging mycotoxins not only causes crop yield reduction and quality deterioration, but also exists in processed food products, posing a great safety threat to humans and animals. In recent years, research on the removal of emerging mycotoxins has received widespread attention. This review systematically summarizes the current degradation strategies for emerging mycotoxins, including physical (food processing, cold plasma, irradiation, and adsorption), chemical (oxidizing/reducing agents, plant extracts, essential oils, and phytochemicals), and biological (microbial degradation, microbial antagonism, and enzymatic degradation) approaches. Moreover, representative cases of mycotoxin degradation in various food matrices are discussed, aiming to promote the development of efficient, environmentally friendly, and practical detoxification strategies, thereby providing valuable insights for the effective control of emerging mycotoxins.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"181 ","pages":"Article 111700"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145019295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PVKK-Stacking: A novel stacking method based on spectral data diversity and meta-feature optimization for adulteration analysis of Tieguanyin tea","authors":"Zile Fang,&nbsp;Yaoming Kang,&nbsp;Zhuolin Han,&nbsp;Yushan Liu,&nbsp;Jiayi Han,&nbsp;Jiachun Zhuang,&nbsp;Qinglin Chen,&nbsp;Zhigang Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111687","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111687","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tea adulteration detection poses a critical challenge in food safety regulation, particularly for oolong tea, due to the similar physicochemical properties among its varieties and the limitations of conventional identification methods. Spectroscopic techniques, with their non-destructive, accurate, and efficient characteristics, offer an effective solution to this challenge. However, given the complexity and diversity of adulterant compositions, traditional individual models based on spectral analysis generally suffer from limited prediction accuracy and poor cross-variety generalization, making them inadequate for detection across different adulteration scenarios. To address this technical bottleneck, a novel PVKK-Stacking method was proposed. This method combined multiple spectral preprocessing and variable selection methods to generate diverse spectral data for the base models, thereby provided comprehensive complementary information for the stacking ensemble learning. Furthermore, base models were pruned through K-means clustering and subsequently integrated using a KPLSR meta-model. This study focused on detecting adulteration in Tieguanyin, a classic oolong tea, using four other highly similar oolong tea varieties to prepare adulterated samples. Experimental results demonstrated that the PVKK-Stacking method achieved certain improvements over the compared individual model and ensemble methods, and exhibited exceptional stability, demonstrating reliable cross-variety generalization capability. Moreover, as an ensemble learning method, PVKK-Stacking has been optimized to reduce prediction time. The proposed method provides a highly reliable solution for detecting oolong tea adulteration, holding significant practical value in ensuring tea quality and safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"181 ","pages":"Article 111687"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144997667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ensuring process safety: validating industrial cookie and waffle production with a surrogate strain","authors":"Fatima Taghlaoui ,&nbsp;Mariem Somrani ,&nbsp;Anja De Loy-Hendrickx ,&nbsp;An Vermeulen ,&nbsp;Frank Devlieghere","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111688","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111688","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study validated industrial baking processes for sugar waffles and cookies for the effective inactivation of vegetative pathogens. Although sweet bakery products are mostly perceived as microbial-safe, epidemiological data indicate foodborne outbreaks in flour and flour-related products caused mainly by Shiga toxin-producing <em>Escherichia coli</em> (STEC) and <em>Salmonella</em> spp. This study's first step compared observed inactivation of pathogen and potential surrogates during a lab-scale cookie baking process. Therefore, the flour was inoculated with one of the surrogates, i.e., <em>Enterococcus faecium</em> NRRLB-2354, <em>Enterococcus faecium</em> LMG11397, or <em>Escherichia coli</em> P1, or inoculated with one of the pathogenic strain(s), i.e., a <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em> cocktail, <em>Salmonella</em> Senftenberg, <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7 cocktail, or <em>Salmonella</em> spp. cocktail. Each dough was baked for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7.5, and 10 min at 205 °C. The <em>Salmonella</em> spp. cocktail and <em>E. faecium</em> NRRLB-2354 showed the lowest observed inactivation and similar inactivation kinetics (remaining viable after a 10-min bake). Therefore, <em>E. faecium</em> NRRLB-2354 was chosen as the most suitable surrogate and used with the <em>Salmonella</em> spp. cocktail in a lab baking process for sugar waffles (195 s at 177 °C) to validate the surrogate in this food product. The reduction of <em>E. faecium</em> NRRLB-2354 was between 7.6 and 9.0 log CFU/g after the baking process of sugar waffles, which was similar to that of <em>Salmonella</em> spp. cocktail. Finally, the industrial baking processes of speculoos cookies and sugar waffles were validated with <em>E. faecium</em> NRRLB-2354, achieving a more than 7-log reduction in both processes, guaranteeing the absence of vegetative pathogens after baking.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"181 ","pages":"Article 111688"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145005260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comprehensive analysis of inspection and audit reports in animal-derived food production by local competent authorities: A study from Emilia-Romagna, Italy (2020–2024)","authors":"Alfonso Rosamilia ,&nbsp;Maria Luisa Bartczak ,&nbsp;Claudia Travaglio ,&nbsp;Silvia Vianello ,&nbsp;Stefano Benedetti ,&nbsp;Francesca Vergani ,&nbsp;Marco Pierantoni ,&nbsp;Antonio Poeta ,&nbsp;Chiara Guarnieri ,&nbsp;Daniele Fabbri ,&nbsp;Giovanni Dell’Orfano ,&nbsp;Paolo Gandolfi ,&nbsp;Giuseppe Diegoli ,&nbsp;Anna Padovani ,&nbsp;Marcello Trevisani","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111686","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111686","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Food safety is essential to public health and is ensured through official controls that verify compliance across the food supply chain. This study examines the frequency and nature of non-compliances identified through inspections and audits in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, from 2020 to 2024. A survey explored challenges faced by veterinarians in official controls. Over 540,000 inspections and 40,000 audits were performed in ≈3000 production activities handling products of animal origin. Inspection non-compliance rates remained low, from 1.7 % in 2020 to around 2.3–2.4 % in later years. Few inspections led to enforcement actions: 89 legal referrals, 151 administrative penalties, and 55 product seizures. Audits showed higher non-compliance rates (4.6 %), particularly in poultry slaughterhouses (8.5 %) and meat processing facilities (7.2 %), though rarely resulting in sanctions. The study underscores methodological and functional differences between inspections and audits, the former being more effective in identifying operational issues, and the latter in detecting systemic deficiencies. While audits revealed more non-compliances, this quantitative difference lacks consistent support from broader literature and deeper analysis, suggesting both tools have complementary strengths shaped by context and methodology. The Complaint Index highlighted imbalances in inspection frequency, pointing to sectors where resources could be better allocated. However, limitations such as fragmented data systems hinder comprehensive risk-based planning. Official veterinarians' survey responses indicated a need for improved training, better checklists, and time optimization. The findings advocate for a transition from broad risk categories to targeted, risk-based inspections, supported by digital tools to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of official controls.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"181 ","pages":"Article 111686"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144997670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Attachment of Listeria monocytogenes to corn salad","authors":"Tim Hoffmann,&nbsp;Agnes Weiss","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111653","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111653","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Listeria monocytogenes</em> is an important foodborne pathogen because of its high hospitalization and mortality rate. The Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2895 tightens the detection limit for <em>L. monocytogenes</em> at the end of food's shelf life to not detectable in 25 g food. In this context, food hygiene measures and storage conditions need to be reconsidered. Little is known about how <em>L. monocytogenes</em> attaches to vegetables such as corn salad. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the attachment and colonization of <em>L. monocytogenes</em> on corn salad and the ability of <em>L. monocytogenes</em> to grow and form biofilm. Sterile corn salad was cultivated and colonization of <em>L. monocytogenes</em> was imaged by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Two vegetable isolates and one of mammalian origin were tested for their potential to form biofilm in BHI and LB broth as well as in corn salad medium. For qualitative investigations, biofilm formation of the green fluorescent protein expressing strain NCTC 10887 was imaged <em>via</em> 3D-CLSM, and quantitative image analysis was performed with the “BiofilmQ” software. The biofilm formed in corn salad medium showed different architectural features than in BHI and LB broth. <em>L. monocyotgenes</em> colonized the leaf surface in a homogenous, undirected manner. The stomata of corn salad were densely colonized and the cells formed string-like structures. Furthermore, CLSM showed that layer formation of cells occurred which gives rise to the hypothesis that a biofilm was formed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"181 ","pages":"Article 111653"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144997665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of electric and electromagnetic fields treatments combined with modified atmosphere package on the storage quality of fresh-cut cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.)","authors":"Hao Shi ,&nbsp;Min Zhang ,&nbsp;Arun S. Mujumdar ,&nbsp;Chunyan Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111684","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111684","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fresh-cut cucumber (FCC), as one of the most important raw material in vegetable salads, is highly susceptible to quality problems during storage. High voltage electrostatic field (HVEF), as a non-thermal, low energy consumption, and residue free physical field technology, can effectively control the microbial content in food. Electromagnetic fields (EMF) have also been found to have significant effects on microbial proliferation. In this study, a combination of HVEF and EMF was used to treat FCCs in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and their storage quality was monitored. It was found that the combination of HVEF and EMF treatment under appropriate parameter conditions can significantly reduce the initial microbial content in FCCs, from 3.71 Log CFU/g to &lt;2.30 Log CFU/g, without having a negative impact on the original cell structure and enzyme system. Combined with MAP, it can effectively reduce the damage to the cell structure of FCCs during storage, thereby reducing weight loss rate and delaying the changes in pH, conductivity, and total soluble solid content during storage. In addition, delaying the changes in peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase and lipoxygenase enzyme activity could also reduce the generation of malondialdehyde and the membrane lipid oxidation and structural damage it brings, reduce the loss of chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, and phenolic substances, and ultimately maintain the sensory characteristics of cucumber slices such as color, texture, appearance, and flavor. Compared with the control group (6 days), the combination of HVEF and EMF treatment with MAP can effectively extend the shelf life of FCCs to 9–12 days.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 111684"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144916335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Face-off: Shark or pork? DNA barcoding authentication and labelling analysis of shark products (intestine and stomach) available on Chinese e-commerce","authors":"Xia Zhang ,&nbsp;Lara Tinacci ,&nbsp;Alice Giusti ,&nbsp;Huiru Kang ,&nbsp;Sihui Li ,&nbsp;Weide Deng ,&nbsp;Yuan Li ,&nbsp;Zhenzhu Sun ,&nbsp;Hongyuan Peng ,&nbsp;Lu Zou ,&nbsp;Xinjie Li ,&nbsp;Andrea Armani ,&nbsp;Jing Wen","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111685","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111685","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Systematic monitoring of the shark product supply chain is essential to ensure traceability, uphold consumer transparency, and contribute to species conservation. In this study, 69 shark products, 48 shark stomachs (SH_s) and 21 shark intestines (SH_i), were sourced from Chinese e-commerce platforms. First, information to consumers was evaluated by 1) analyzing data provided on the product web page and 2) assessing the products label compliance with the current Chinese labelling standard (GB7718-2011); then the products were molecularly authenticated by DNA barcoding to assess eventual substitution cases. An inaccurate presentation to consumers was highlighted for all products, being exclusively designated by their general trade names, without reference to scientific name, or other details that would facilitate the products characterization. DNA barcoding results confirmed the allocation of 40.6 % of the products to <em>Prionace glauca</em> (blue shark) and, of 59.4 % of products to <em>Sus scrofa</em> (pork), in a clear instance of substitution-based adulteration. This case represents an unprecedented incident of a total substitution of a seafood product with a non-aquatic animal product. This result not only raises concerns about economically motivated fraud but also underscores a significant violation of consumer rights and the protection of ethically or religiously driven dietary choices. Finally, potential public health issues associated with biological or chemical risk linked to farmed animals must not be disregarded. This evidence, when considered in conjunction with the absence of specific regulatory oversight for non-prepackaged food and seafood labelling, serves to emphasize the challenges and the urge in ensuring product traceability, consumer protection, and sustainability in the seafood supply chain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 111685"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144920370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}