Americans are unknowingly eating endangered animals... as study finds grocery store meat is mislabeled

Americans may unknowingly be eating endangered sharks and other at-risk animals, a study shows.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conducted DNA research on products labeled as shark meat sold at local grocery stores.

More than nine in 10 tested samples were ambiguously labeled 'shark' without further information on the specific species.

And alarmingly nearly one in three were actually meat from endangered or critically endangered shark species, furthering putting them at risk of being eradicated.

Mislabeled products included shark steak, jelly and jerky and were sold for as little as little as $3 per pound, making them readily accessible. However, more expensive delicacies ran all the way up to $100 per pound.

Sharks are essential for maintaining the marine ecosystem by keeping fish populations at bay. Without sharks eating smaller fish, food sources for them would diminish, eventually killing off the fish as well.

The researchers warned that in addition to threatening shark ecosystems, eating endangered sharks could also pose health risks for humans.

Some types of hammerhead sharks, for example, have high levels of mercury in their meat and fins.

Though safe in small amounts, mercury can accumulate in vital organs like the brain, kidneys and liver, leading to potentially irreversible damage.

Dr Savannah Ryburn, first study author and co-instructor of UNC Chapel Hill's seafood forensics class that conducted the research, said: 'Mislabeling and ambiguous labeling remove consumers’ ability to choose what they are putting in their bodies.

'For example, two species in our study, scalloped hammerhead and great hammerhead, were ambiguously labeled as "shark," even though they are strongly advised against consumption due to their very high mercury levels.

'Without accurate and precise labeling, consumers cannot avoid purchasing these products.'

The study, published Tuesday in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, looked at 30 shark product samples purchased from grocery stores, Asian markets, seafood markets and online retailers in Washington DC, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia.

Samples included 19 raw shark steaks and 11 packages of shark jelly, a substance found in the pores of a shark's snout that helps them detect electric fields.

It's unclear if any of the samples were from illegally hunted sharks.

The team was able to successfully perform DNA testing on 29 out of 30 samples to determine the exact species. Of those, 27 were ambiguously labeled 'shark' and did not specify the species.

The 29 shark samples were made up of 11 species, four of which were endangered or critically endangered: great hammerhead, scalloped hammerhead, tope (also known as the school shark) and the shortfin mako shark.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has found the population of great hammerhead and scalloped hammerhead sharks has declined by over 80 percent in the last 70 years. Some research suggests fewer than 200 of each remain.

Meanwhile, the tope shark population is critically endangered and has dropped by about 88 percent in the last 80 years.

The shortfin mako shark is considered endangered, with estimates suggesting the population has dropped between 60 and 96 percent, depending on the area.

The others were from another seven species, including the vulnerable spinner, lemon, common tresher, and blacktip shark, and the near threatened smooth-hound and Pacific angelshark.

Only one was from a least concern species, the Atlantic sharpnose shark.

Experts have largely blamed declining shark populations on overfishing due to higher demand of shark fins and meat. They also reproduce slowly and live between 20 and 30 years, making it difficult for populations to recover.

Only one tested sample for a blacktip shark was labeled correctly, suggesting the majority of samples sold online and in stores did not disclose that they were potentially endangered species.

Sharks are apex predators that help regulate populations of prey, which in this case includes smaller fish. If prey populations become too large, they can eat away at coral reefs and deplete food sources faster than they can be replenished, eventually causing the prey to die as well.

The researchers warned scalloped and great hammerheads are also high in mercury, a heavy metal found in the earth's crust. It is a neurotoxin, meaning it accumulates in and attacks the nervous system.

Over time, mercury exposure can lead to mood changes, memory loss, tremors, paralysis and vital organ damage.

Dr Ryburn said: 'Sellers in the United States should be required to provide species-specific names, and when shark meat is not a food security necessity, consumers should avoid purchasing products that lack species-level labeling or traceable sourcing.'