Stepwise approach identifying geographical origins of Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) by using multi-isotope and carbon isotope of fatty acids

Abstract

The authentication of the geographical origin of seafood products is important to guarantee food safety and health of consumers. A reliable method for tracing the geographical origin of Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) is urgently needed. This present study aimed to trace the geographical origins of Manila clams by using multi-element stable isotope technique, fatty acid profile, and stable carbon isotopic values. The potential of step-by-step classification approach was applied to discriminate the origin from different regions and countries (South Korea, North Korea, China), respectively. With multi-element stable isotope analysis only, accuracy of geographical traceability was 71.56% across regions within South Korea, and 84.46% across countries (South Korea, North Korea, and China). Using fatty acid profile and CSIA fingerprinting, the accuracy of geographical traceability reached 100% to identify origins of Manila clam. These results suggest that the combination of analytical methods (fatty acid profile and CSIA) can improve a potential significantly to validate geographical origin of bivalve and protect consumer from mislabeling and seafood fraud crime.