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Italian Journal of Food Safety 2020; volume 9:8774 Risks and critical issues related Chinese Mitten Crab. The presence of E. to the discovery on the market sinensis in Europe is reported since the early Correspondence: Federica Maria Sessa, Food 1900s plausibly due to the accidental Chain studio associato, via G. Guinizzelli 24, of unauthorized live alien species introduction of zoea larval stages through 50133, Firenze (FI), Italy. on the Italian territory: Chinese ballast waters (Bentley, 2011; Hopkins, Tel: +39 3495456481. E-mail: [email protected] crab (Eriocheir sinensis) 2001). The first survey was recorded in Germany in 1912, in the Aller river near the Key words: Eriocheir sinensis; Chinese city of Rethem and in 1914 in the Elbe river Federica Maria Sessa,1 Luca Cianti,2 Mitten Crab; invasive species; official control; (Hymanson et al., 1999). More recently, risks and critical issues. Nicola Brogelli,1 Lara Tinacci,3 3 alternatives routes for the introduction of the Alessandra Guidi species within the European borders has Contributions: The authors contributed equally. 1Food Chain Studio associato, Firenze; been hypothesized as consequence of its Conflicts of interest: The authors declare no 2Azienda USL Toscana Centro, Firenze; import for food purpose generally related to conflict of interest. 3Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Asian cuisine specialties (Robbins, et al., Università di Pisa, Italy 2003). Funding: none. Indeed, in East and South-East Asia E. sinensis is recognized as one of the most Received for publication: 18 December 2019. commercially valuable crabs and it is Revision received: 6 March 2020. Abstract presented on the market in various forms Accepted for publication: 30 March 2020. Eriocheir sinensis, Chinese Crab or (alive, fresh or frozen) for the preparation of This work is licensed under a Creative Chinese Mitten Crab is a catadromous traditional delicacies such as soup or cold Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 species belonging to the Varunidae family, cuts (Clark et al., 2009; Hoogenboom et al., International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). native to river and estuarine areas of North 2015). The crab gonads are particularly and South East China and Korea. At appreciated and included within the highest- ©Copyright: the Author(s), 2020 European level, E. sinensis is widespread in class dishes proposed in China, Japan and onlyLicensee PAGEPress, Italy the main water basins of Central and Singapore (Clark, 2011). Italian Journal of Food Safety 2020; 9:8774 Northern Europe and, since 2016, it has been As regard as Mediterranean Sea area, E. doi:10.4081/ijfs.2020.8774 included in the list of invasive species sinensis first appearance was recorded in important for the European Union and 1959 near Narbonne, further reports were subjected to confinement and eradication lost until early 2000s when a specimenuse was restoration of a batch of alive E. sinensis measures which include the prohibition of captured in the lagoon of Venice (Mizzan, crabs, conducted in 2018, by the UFS collection, transit and placing on the market 2005). Since then, E. sinensis has been (Functional Simple Unit) veterinary public of live specimens (Regulation (EC) N° periodically sighted within this area until health and food safety of the ASL Toscana 1143/2014). The Chinese Crab can represent 2014 (Fiorin, et al., 2013; Bettison and Centro aimed at bringing to the attention a significant danger for the local ecosystem Comisso, 2015). criticalities correlated to the introduction of and for the native biota as well as E. sinensis arouse specific attention alien invasive species on the National contributing to the appearance of internationally being listed within the first market. Particularly the study focused on hydrogeological instability phenomena 100 alien species with the highest invasive both the environmental impact and possible resulting from the intense excavation and potential due to its extreme euryhalinity, as health concerns related to the consumption erosion of the riverbanks. catadromous species, which allows the crab of an unauthorized and unchecked product. The first finding of 5 kg of live survival in both fresh and marine waters and specimens of Eriocheir sinensis was the high reproductive index and the adults recorded in the official control by the UFS burrowing habit which produces degradation (Functional Simple Unit) veterinary public and erosion of water channels and the banks Materials and Methods health and food safety of the ASL Toscana of waterways (Bentley, 2011; DAISIE, 2015; Centro at an ethnic catering establishment.Non-commercialDittel and Epifanio, 2009). In December 2018, two following The specimens were subjected to seizure, Under the European legislation the seizures were conducted by the UFS photographed, identified morphologically, prevention and management of the veterinary public health and food safety of and subjected to euthanasia and destruction introduction and spread of invasive alien the ASL Toscana Centro towards two in accordance with the European species is ruled by the Regulation (EC) N° different ethnic catering establishments requirements for welfare and management of 1143/2014 which specifically prohibits, within Florence province; two batches of animal by-products. within the Union, the import, transit, feeding 5kg and 10kg of live crabs were blocked. From the sanitary point of view, the selling and free release in the environment The crabs were kept in their original dangers associated with the consumption of of alive specimens belonging to ascertained polystyrene packaging and stored at around this crab are mainly biological and chemical alien invasive species listed in periodically 0-4°C in accordance with their ascertained therefore, risk communication is updated lists. In this respect, a dedicated tolerance to low temperature (DAISIE, fundamental, not only at the level of the Regulation (EU Execution Regulation No. 2016; competent authorities in the sector, but also 2016/1141) has been enacted and within the http://www.fao.org/tempref/FI/DOCUMEN for the food business operators. list currently in force E. sinensis is included. T/aquaculture/CulturedSpecies/file/en/en_ch Therefore, Chinese Mitten Crab is allowed ineserivercrab.htm) in order to maintain a for import only as fresh or frozen product low specimen metabolism and a low Introduction while even the transport of alive specimen is mortality rate during the storage. During the Eriocheir sinensis, is a crab belonging to forbidden. control activity a representative number of the Varunidae family commonly known as Thus, the present study, following a specimens included in each of the batches, [Italian Journal of Food Safety 2020; 9:8774] [page 137] Article selected according to the size and sex, were major criticalities in the products traceability photographed and the specific Discussion management, still persisting especially in the morphological parameters were compared catering sector owned by Asian Food with the reference tables to confirm the Specimens identification Business Operators (FBO) as previously species. Furthermore, all the data reported on The specimens examined had medium highlighted in several studies on seafood the commercial documents were recorded. In dimensions in line with the commercial sizes traceability at ethnic retailers, distributed particular all the data related to commercial reported in bibliography although the within Italian borders (D’Amico et al., 2014; and scientific designation, products origin possibility of adult subjects reaching a width Guidi et al., 2010). and fishing area, storage conditions and sales of 10 cm is also reported (Czerniejewski, et The analysis of the data collected destination were registered. At the end of the al., 2003). pointed out, for one of the two batches, a activities related to the seizure all the The sexual dimorphism highlighted with product corresponding to a FAO area (27.IV, animals were subjected to euthanasia in regard to the dark brown hairs around the subarea C) previously reported as an open respect of animal welfare. claws is in agreement with the reference data fishing area for E. sinensis (Hoogenboom et reported in bibliography within the species al., 2015). In this case, despite the identification cards. In particular, in our traceability of the product was complete and study the presence of more developed and the fishing area admitted for the species Results longer claws hair observed in male catching, the detention of the alive specimens is in agreement with Rudnick et specimens clearly arose in violation of the Specimens identification al., 2000 description. current European legislation on the control As regard as the morphological analysis of alien species (Regulation (EC) N° the specimens photographed presented a 1143/2014; Commission Implementing Traceability and health concerns Regulation (EU) 2016/1141). squared, convex carapace with the typical related to the eventual products con- dark green color tending to gray (Figures 1 Furthermore, the wording not intended sumption and 2).The average carapace width was 5-7 for human consumption reported on the The ASL control activity has highlighted batch label in question, assumes that the cm, with the presence of the 4 lateral spines only on both sides of which the last one being less developed in the cranio-caudal direction (Figure 1). The limbs appeared well developed and almost twice longer than the use carapace. In the infraorbital region, a V- shaped notch was present