Aquaculture for all

Fish4Future: New Fish Tracing Technology

Food safety & handling

GLOBAL - German seafood sustainability labelling company, Fish4Future has teamed up with Swiss molecular biological laboratory, Biolytix AG to develop a process that proves and guarantees the traceability of sustainably cultivated seafood all the way down to the customer.


Since 2008 fish4future® has been the first leading label for the gastronomy sector that distinguishes fish and seafood originating from proven sustainable sources down to the consumer level. The label is available worldwide to all interested fisheries and producers whose products have been certified by q.inspecta GmbH, Frick/Switzerland, based on fish4future® standards.

Fish4Future demonstrates how the new technique, which allows traceability from the fisherman to the consumer, works using a genomic "fin print". This allows the identification of fish with regard to both species and origin.

Modern state-of-the-art molecular biological processes are used to define the precise origin and species. Biolytix already counts more than 13 years of experience in the identification of animal species and has received ISO/IEC/17025 accreditation.

Since each species has a genetic "fin print," Biolytix can determine the fish species with more than a 99 per cent certainty.

Toby Herrlich, initiator of fish4future® stated, “The fish served on the plate is not identified with any sender name or label. However, its genetic information points to its source and this provides the consumer with transparency, security and protection from incorrect declarations.

This is an important quality tool and credibility feature with regard to traceability, especially for fish4future® who supports sustainable fisheries and sustainable aquaculture”.

“With Biolytix we have found a competent partner to help us guarantee that whenever a product carries the fish4future® label,the fish4future® quality is also found inside" he said.

Adrian Härri, CEO of Biolytix AG, added: "That is the future. Demands for the genetic identification of animal species are ever increasing and gaining importance in the food industry.

"It is applied mainly to prevent consumers from being deceived, but thanks to very sensitive new methods we can also use it to help preserve such endangered species as the bluefin tuna."

Seated in Witterswil near Basel, Biolytix AG has been offering competent advice and various services ever since 1998 in the area of food analysis; microbiology; the distribution, sales and marketing of PCR kits; gene expression; genotyping; as well as the establishment and validation of assays.

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