Oceana investigation reveals that one in four squid products in Brussels and Milan are mislabelled
Press Release Date: April 9, 2026
Location: Brussels
Contact:
Irene Campmany | email: icampmany@oceana.org | tel.: +34 682 622 245
Squid often ends up on European consumers’ plates without information on species or origin
EU legislation should include basic information on all seafood, including processed products and those served in restaurants
One in four squid products sold in Brussels and Milan are mislabelled, according to new research from Oceana in collaboration with the Department of Veterinary Sciences, FishLab, of the University of Pisa. The DNA study published in the journal Food Control analysed nearly 200 squid products, and uncovered widespread mislabelling and poor compliance with EU consumer information rules. The findings raise concerns about transparency, seafood traceability, and the ability of consumers to make informed choices.
Squid species are traded globally and end up on European consumers’ plates, often without any information on what they are or where they come from. Of the samples for which species information was provided, mislabelling reached up to 27% in Brussels and 26% in Milan.
“Our study shows that seafood mislabelling occurs across a diverse range of products, including the squid we analysed from fishmongers, restaurants and supermarkets. In most cases, the mislabelling is driven by a misrepresentation of the squid provenance, with products labelled as local species when in reality they come from the South Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean. They may be squid species for which management is lacking, and that are caught by fleets engaging in illegal or unregulated fishing.” says Marine Cusa, Senior Policy Advisor at Oceana in Europe.
In Brussels, most cases involved the substitution of high value local squid, typically caught in the Mediterranean or Northeast Atlantic, with cheaper imported species such as Jumbo flying squid and Patagonian squid from South America. This reflects a broader trend: local, higher-value species being replaced by cheaper, imported ones without consumer knowledge.
In Milan, substitution patterns were more heterogeneous, occurring across restaurants and takeaways, supermarkets and fishmongers. Several squid products labelled as Mediterranean were instead imported species.
“Accurate labelling is essential to ensure consumer trust, fair competition for fishers, and transparent seafood supply chains. Therefore, we urge the EU to require basic information for all seafood, including processed products and dishes served in restaurants.” says Marine Cusa, Senior Policy Advisor at Oceana in Europe.
Current EU rules leave a large portion of the seafood market outside mandatory consumer information requirements, including processed products and those served in restaurants. These exemptions make it difficult for consumers to know what they are buying and reduce incentives for businesses to provide any information on these products.
Therefore, Oceana asks the European Commission to amend the EU Regulation on the Common Market Organisation to ensure:
- Mandatory basic information for all seafood products (species, origin, fishing gear, production method), including prepared and preserved items.
- Labelling requirements for restaurants, hotels, and mass caterers.
- Flag state disclosure identifying the country of registration of the fishing vessel.
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