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Analysis of fresh fish labelling in Spanish fish retail shops

Luis Asensio   *, Ana Montero

Departamento de Nutricio n, Bromatologı a y Tecnologı a de los Alimentos, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo CEU,

 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain

Received 13 March 2007; received in revised form 25 July 2007; accepted 7 August 2007

Abstract

Each day more and more people are concerned about their food habits, because they can have repercussions on their health. However,currently, labels are their main and almost unique source of information related with what they consume. Among fish and fishery prod-ucts, fresh fish is a favourite among Spaniards and the information which should be included on the labels is regulated by European andSpanish labelling legislation. That information, which is demanded by consumers, is essential because of fish is a perishable food withdifferent origins. To check whether consumers are well informed products labelling in 285 traditional fish shops from food-markets and155 fish shops from supermarkets and hypermarkets were analysed. Results showed serious labelling deficiencies in the first shops men-tioned but were better in the second.  2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords:   Consumers; Fish and fishery products; Labelling legislation; Traceability

1. Introduction

Spain is a country of age marine old tradition. With anestimated production of 1.16 million tonnes, as it can beseen in  Table 1, this country is the principal producer inthe European Union and ranks 20th in the world in overallfish production (capture and aquaculture), with the leadingcountries being China, Peru, India, Indonesia, Chile andthe United States (FAO, 2006a).

Fish consumption has increased significantly in Spain inrecent years. According to estimates by the Food and Agri-culture Organization, after Portugal, Spain has the largest

annual per capita fish and fishery products consumptionin the European Union with 44.5 kg (FAO, 2006b); 75%of this quantity is eaten at home, 22% in restaurants andthe rest is consumed in different institutions (army, hospi-tals, etc.) (MAPA, 2006).

Moreover, according to estimates by the Spanish Minis-try of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, fish and fisheryproducts account for 14% of the average Spanish con-

sumer’s food budget. Among fish products, fresh fish isthe most consumed and preferred by Spanish consumers(more than 0.8 million of tonnes in the last statistical year).Approximately, 50% of this quantity is purchased in thetraditional fish shops, 38% in supermarkets and the restin hypermarkets. Hake, sardine, anchovy, flat fish and tunaare the most popular fish species (MAPA, 2006).

In the trading of these products consumers need to havesufficient and reliable details about fish origin and otheressential characteristics. Thus, labels in fish retail shops,must contain this necessary information and be located ina visible and legible way to consumers. Non-detailed label-

ling may cause consumers’ disorientation.In order to protect consumer’s rights, regulations relatedto fish labelling are essential. Thus, labelling of fish andfishery products commercialised in Spain is regulated byEuropean and Spanish legislation labelling.

In that respect, the Council Regulation (EC) 104/2000,of December 17th 1999, by which the common organizationof markets within the sector of fish and aquaculture prod-ucts is established, grants priority to inform the consumeron products acquired for consumption. These issues aredetailed in the Commission Regulation (EC) 2065/2001.

0956-7135/$ - see front matter    2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2007.08.005

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 91 372 64 49; fax: +34 91 351 04 75.E-mail address: lasen.fcex@ceu.es  (L. Asensio).

www.elsevier.com/locate/foodcont

 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

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As for Spanish regulations, Act 3/2001, of March 26th,on Spanish Maritime Fishing, displays the same concern to

correctly inform consumers. Thus, in its article 78, it estab-lishes the principles that govern labelling, presentation, andadvertising of fish and fishery products. These principlesare as follows:

1. Fish products shall include or display sufficient, truthful,and efficient information about their origin and essentialcharacteristics, in an objective way and leaving no roomfor doubt.

2. Information on the nature of the product shall be com-plete, and shall specify the name of the species in allcases, without exception.

3. The information provided shall not lead to error or mis-information by means of inscriptions, signs, anagrams,drawings, or any other form of presentation that couldlead to confusion with other products.

4. No data whatsoever shall be omitted or falsified for thepurpose of offering a false image of the product.

5. Labels shall state the quality of the product, or of any of itsmain ingredients, according to specific quality standards.

By virtue of the aforementioned regulations, the SpanishRoyal Decree 121/2004 of the 23rd of January 2004, estab-lished, in accordance with the European regulation, thebasic regulation on classification and labelling of fresh,

refrigerated and chilled fish products. Considering this

Royal Decree the minimum and compulsory informationto be included on the labels in fish retail shops are:

(a) Commercial designation of the species: the   CouncilRegulation (EC) 104/2000  displays in the article 4,‘‘the Member States shall draw up and publish a list

of the commercial designations accepted in their terri-tory’’. So that, there is a list of commercial names forall fish species commercialised in Spain accepted by theSpanish Secretary General of Maritime Fishing (Reso-lution of 27th of February 2007 of the Spanish Secre-tary General of Maritime Fishing). Examples of commercial designation of the fish species are cod, sal-mon, sardine or hake.

(b) The catch area: (i) for products caught at sea, the ori-gin must be indicated by reference to one (or more, if appropriate) of 12 catch areas based on FAO statisti-cal classifications. For example, fish caught in NewZealand waters would need to make reference to the

‘‘Pacific Ocean’’; (ii) for products caught in freshwa-ter, the origin must give a reference to the MemberState (i.e. EC Country) or third country of origin.For example, trout caught in freshwaters of Spain orNorway, reference would need to be made to Spainor Norway respectively; (iii) for farmed and cultivatedproducts, the origin must indicate the Member Stateor third country in which the product underwent finaldevelopment. For example, if a fish started its lifefarmed in France and Denmark but was ‘‘finallyfarmed’’ in Iceland, the labelling is required to state‘‘Farmed Icelandic fish’’. However, consistency with

separate advice on country of origin labelling wouldsuggest that all countries be indicated on the labellingto give consumers accurate and meaningful informa-tion on the true place(s) of origin of the fish. So inthe above example, it is recommended that the prod-uct be labelled as ‘‘Farmed Icelandic fish reared inFrance and Denmark’’.

(c) The production method: the production methodshould be given in one of the following ways: forproducts caught at sea or in freshwater must be usedthe terms ‘‘caught’’ or ‘‘caught in freshwater’’; forproducts of aquaculture must be used the terms‘‘farmed’’ or ‘‘cultivated’’ to indicate that the fisheryand aquaculture products have been farmed.

(d) Fish presentation: fish can be eviscerated, with orwithout head, filleted, cooked, thawed or other. Thisinformation also must be written on the label.

These regulations imply that all fish commercialised inSpanish fish retail shops must be labelled with the commer-cial designation of the species, the catch area, the produc-tion method and the presentation. This information isdemanded by consumers and it is essential because of fishis a perishable food with different origins.

On the basis of this information, the aim of this work

was to analyse the fresh, refrigerated and chilled fish label-

Table 1World fisheries production (capture and aquaculture) in the EuropeanUnion by country (2004)

Capture (T) Aquaculture (T) Total (T)

Austria 400 2.267 2.667Belgium 26.575 1.200 27.775Cyprus 1.567 2.425 3.992

Czech Rep 4.528 19.384 23.912Denmark 1.089.986 42.252 1.132.238Estonia 87.906 252 88.158Finland 135.879 12.821 148.700France 597.018 243.870 840.888Germany 262.103 57.233 319.336Greece 93.220 97.068 190.288Hungary 7.242 12.744 19.986Ireland 280.229 58.359 338.588Italy 287.084 117.786 404.870Latvia 125.391 545 125.936Lithuania 158.140 2.697 160.837Malta 1.134 868 2.002Netherlands 521.636 78.925 600.561Poland 192.109 35.258 227.367

Portugal 221.429 6.700 228.129Slovakia 1.603 1.180 2.783Slovenia 1.022 1.569 2.591Spain 803.336 363.181 1.166.517Sweden 269.922 5.989 275.911UK 652.405 207.203 859.608

Total 5.821.864 1.371.776 7.193.640

T = metric tonnes (FAO, 2006a).

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ling in traditional fish shops from food-markets and fishshops from supermarkets and hypermarkets. This studywas developed to verify if the minimum and compulsoryinformation included on fish labels (designation of the spe-cies, the catch area, the production method and the presen-tation) is correctly provided in the fish retail shops and,

thus, to determine if consumers are well informed aboutwhat they purchase and consume.

2. Materials and methods

Fish labelling in 285 traditional fish shops from food-markets, and 155 fish shops from supermarkets and hyper-markets (selected at random) were analysed, all shops fromMadrid town and surroundings and other closed townsnear the capital (Toledo and Guadalajara). Madrid is thebest investigation field because in its central wholesale mar-ket (MERCAMADRID), the largest in Europe and thesecond largest world wide, large volumes of fish and fishery

products are sold every day.To begin with this study, a filing card with a series of 

requirements to check was designed (Fig. 1). The principalrequirements which labels should contain were: designationof the species, catch area, production method and presen-tation. It was easy to verify, by visual analysis, if labelsin fish shops showed correctly these characteristics or onthe contrary, no legal specifications were displayed. Whenfinished this procedure, obtained data were analysed look-ing for conclusions.

3. Results and discussion

Subsequently, results of fresh, refrigerated and chilledfish products labelling analysis are showed.

3.1. Traditional fish shops

Among the 285 fish shops analysed, 17.2% of themshowed a complete labelling: designation of the species,catch area, production method and presentation. The restdid not provide all the specifications: 64.6% of fish shops

only showed the designation of the species, 10.5% hadempty labels with no legal specifications and 7.7% only dis-played two or three legal specifications (Fig. 2).

3.2. Fish shops from supermarkets and hypermarkets

Among the 155 fish shops from supermarkets andhypermarkets analysed, 71% of them showed all the legalrequirements, this is, they included the minimum and com-pulsory information. The rest of establishments studiedonly showed the designation of the fish species (20.6%) ortwo or three legal specifications (8.4%) (Fig. 3), which rep-

resents insufficient information according with labellinglegislation in use. However, in this type of fish shops noempty labels were found.

There were neither doubts nor possible mistakes duringdata collection. Fish shops analysed showed the samelabelling for all of its products, no matter if it was completeor incomplete.

Looking at the results obtained in this market research itcan be said that fish labelling information is more completein super and hypermarkets than in traditional shops and, asa rule, the smaller is the shop the more incomplete is theinformation. The explanation to this could be due to thegreater information transmission along the trading circuit

in super and hypermarkets than the other stores. Further-more, as big establishments are more controlled by theauthorities than small shops, there are fewer deficiencies

YES NO

1. Is the information about the designation of the

species written on the label? _____ _____

2. Is the information about the catch area written

on the label? _____ _____

3. Is the information about the production

method written on the label? _____ _____

4. Is the information about the fish presentation

written on the label? _____ _____

Fig. 1. Filing card used to analyse fresh, refrigerated and chilled fish products labels.

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in labelling. Economic operators of the fish trading circuitare responsible for identifying and storing the information

they control. Retailers should receive this information inwriting either on a label on the packaging or on the accom-panying commercial documentation. Subsequently, thisinformation should be placed or written on the label inthe fish shops. If this fish trading circuit is broken, prob-lems in labelling appear (Frederiksen & Bremmer, 2001;Perez-Villareal, Letellier, Loreal, & Etienne, 2003).

This work is very related to the traceability concept. It canbe defined as the collection, documentation, maintenanceand application of information related to all processes inthe food supply chain in a manner that provides a guaranteeto the consumer on the origin and life history of a product(Opara & Mazaud, 2001). Article 18 from the Regulation(EC) 178/2002 of the European Parliament   establishes theobligation to set up, apply and keep a traceability system.This article is applicable as of January 1st, 2005.

It makes the economic operators of the fish trading cir-cuit responsible for identifying and storing the informationthey control; specifically, they shall:

•  Re-label fish boxes in the event of re-packing or han-dling of the content of the boxes in the first point of sale(wholesale fish market), as long as the original content isitemized, grouped or mixed.

•   This re-labelling shall be carried out as established by

Regulation (EC) 2406/96 and Royal Decree 121/2004.

On the basis of this information, traceability system isnecessary to avoid an incomplete fish labelling as this mar-

ket research has provided. Thus, economic operators andretailers have to be aware of labelling fish and fishery prod-ucts, as well as the different administrations have to becoordinated among themselves to control labelling regula-tions (Denton, 2003).

Each day more and more people are concerned abouttheir food habits, because they can have repercussions ontheir health. Labels helps consumers to choose a productaccording to desirable qualities, so it is, nowadays, themost efficient and affordable way to provide informationabout the product and the most influential point in the cos-tumer’s decision of purchasing and consuming (Brom,

2000).For this reason, traceability must be an essential tool toprotect the consumers’ health and secure, as well as theirfinancial and social interests. Thus, consumers mustdemand a complete fish labelling with the designation of the fish species, the catch area, the production methodand the fish presentation. This information is essentialbecause of fish is a perishable food with different origins.

References

Act 3/2001, of March 26th, on Spanish Maritime Fishing, establishes theprinciples that govern labelling, presentation, and advertising of fish

products (BOE number 75 of the 28th of March 2001).

SUPERMARKETS

20.6%

8.4%

71%

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Complete labelling

Two or three

specifications

Only designation of

species

Number of fish shops

Fig. 3. Results obtained after the fish and fishery products labelling analysis in the fish shops from supermarkets and hypermarkets.

FISH SHOPS

17.2%

7.7%

64.6%

10.5%

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Complete labelling

Two or three

specifications

Only designation of

species

Empty label

Number of fish shops

Fig. 2. Results obtained after the fish and fishery products labelling analysis in the traditional fish shops.

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Brom, F. W. A. (2000). Food, consumer concerns, and trust: Food ethicsfor a globalizing market.   Journal of Agricultural and Environmental 

Ethics, 12, 127–139.Commission Regulation (EC) 2065/2001 of 22 October 2001 laying

down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC)No. 104/2000 as regards informing consumers about fishery andaquaculture products.   Official Journal of the European Communities

L   278/6.Council Regulation (EC) No. 2406/96 of 26 November 1996 laying down

common marketing standards for certain fishery products.   Official 

Journal of the European Communities L  334, 31.12.96.Council Regulation (EC) No. 104/2000 of 17 December 1999 on

the common organization of the markets in fishery andaquaculture products.   Official Journal of the European Communities

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for the fish industry. In J. B. Luten, J. Oehlenschlager, & G.Olafsdottir (Eds.),  Quality of fish from catch to consumer.   Labelling,

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FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) (2006a). FAO yearbook of fishery statistics. Aquaculture production 2004. FAO statistics series.(Vol. 98/2). Rome (Italy).

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) (2006b). FAO yearbook of fishery statistics. Food and Agriculture Organization. Commodities2004. FAO statistics series. (Vol. 99.) Rome (Italy): FAO.

Frederiksen, M., & Bremmer, A. (2001). Fresh fish distribution chains: Ananalysis of three Danish and three Australian chains.  Food Australia,

54, 117–123.MAPA, (Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) (2006).

Agricultural and Food Statistics Year Book 2004. Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Madrid (Spain): Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Opara, L. U., & Mazaud, F. (2001). Food traceability from field to plate.Outlook on Agriculture, 30, 239–247.

Perez-Villareal, B., Letellier, I., Loreal, H., & Etienne, M. (2003). Fishquality labelling systems in Southern Europe. In J. B. Luten, J.Oehlenschlager, & G. Olafsdottir (Eds.),  Quality of fish from catch to

consumer.   Labelling, monitoring and traceability   (pp. 307–313). TheNetherlands: Wageningen Academic Publishers.

Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of theCouncil of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles andrequirements of food law, establishing the European Food SafetyAuthority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety.Official Journal of the European Communities L 31/1.

Resolution of 27th of February 2007 of the Spanish Secretary General of Maritime Fishing, which establishes a list of commercial names for allfish species commercialised in Spain (BOE number 70 of the 22nd of March 2007).

Royal Decree 121/2004 of the 23rd of January 2004 related to theidentification of live, fresh or refrigerated fish and fishery products(BOE number 31, of the 5th of February 2004).

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