Fake caviar from Bulgaria and Romania

Analyses of 27 caviar samples from Bulgaria and Romania revealed an unexpectedly high level of caviar offered for sale with wrong labels or without labels. Actually, all sturgeon caviar containers must bear a label with a universal code providing all important information about the origin of the caviar, e.g. sturgeon species, aqua culture or wild caught fish and country of origin. However, in seven cases caviar was sold illegally in shops or by street vendors without labels on their containers. All caviar samples were analysed genetically to identify the sturgeon species. Only ten labeled tins or jars were in agreement with the species code on their label. Four samples were mislabeled, containing caviar from another sturgeon species or more than one species. In at least one case of mislabeling the caviar was "upgraded" from a lower-priced species to a more expensive one. Six samples were counterfeit and should not have been declared as caviar at all. Three of these counterfeits were free from animal DNA and probably made entirely of artificial substances. One sample was identified as a fish species called lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus) whose eggs are commonly offered as caviar substitute. The other two counterfeits were most likely made of sturgeon meat.

"Considering sturgeon conservation, four samples were of most concern. These samples were sold in restaurants or by street vendors explicitly as originating from wild Danube sturgeon, which were therefore illegally caught," mentions Arne Ludwig from the German Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW). All four samples originated from the critically endangered beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) whose population in the Danube region seems to be on the brink of extinction. "An effective conservation of sturgeons can only be possible, if poaching and illegal trade are finally banned," adds Jutta Jahrl from WWF Austria.

Real caviar is one of the most expensive animal products in world trade and is harvested from sturgeons and paddlefishes. The price of caviar depends strongly on its species of origin with caviar from beluga sturgeon being the most expensive. Not surprisingly, poaching poses a major thread to the survival of sturgeon species worldwide. According to assessments of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2009, sturgeons are considered to be the most critically endangered group of animals worldwide. All 27 species of sturgeons and paddlefishes have been included in the list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to support their protection from illegal trade. Thus, any international trade of sturgeon specimens, parts or products should be controlled and include the above mentioned labeling system. However, the relatively high number of mislabeled caviar containers casts doubt on the efficiency of the CITES labeling and its control.

"Romania and Bulgaria are the only countries of the European Union where viable populations of sturgeons still occur in the wild, e.g. in the Black Sea and the Danube River," reports Harald Rosenthal, President of the World Sturgeon Conservation Society (WSCS). Although catch and trade bans were established in both countries, illegal fishing obviously continues. "The results of our study demonstrate the weakness of sturgeon protection in Romania and Bulgaria. Therefore, we recommend enhancing conservation and enforcement efforts," emphasises IZW scientist Arne Ludwig. Together with his colleagues, he suggests to intensify DNA testing of caviar, also including containers with apparently correct label.