LYNNTECH INC. — Department of Commerce SBIR Phase II: 9.2.02

Description

Substitutions, replacing high-priced, quality fish with fish of lesser value is an ever-growing concern in the seafood industry. Recent studies have shown that 33% of the seafood samples tested in a US study were mislabeled. The most common mislabeled samples were those sold as snapper (89%). In fact, 94% of the samples labeled as red snapper were NOT red snapper. In response to this problem, Lynntech is developing a DNA-based technology that will identify specific seafood species. This will be a field-ready, point-of-use identification system to expose seafood mislabeling. It is designed to be exquisitely specific, user-friendly, and competitively priced. Our eventual Seafood Authenticity System will provide a sample-toanswer analysis of the seafood sample in approximately one hour. Indeed, development of our seafood identification system will have a positive impact on the seafood industry and commercial market, preventing mislabeled fish from entering the marketplace and ports, as well as grocery stores and restaurants. An added benefit of Lynntech’s Seafood Authenticity System is that is can be readily modified to identify additional fish beyond those proposed in this study.