Abstract:

In recent years, there are constant reports about food adulteration problems all over the world. Inconsistent
labeling of food products, adulteration of meat products, passing off inferior products as superior ones, and other commercial
fraud problems affect consumer health and interests. Although the problem of food adulterations has gained more and more
attention, traditional detection methods have many weaknesses for the authentication of food products. DNA barcoding
is a technique for authenticating food products at the molecular level that can make up for the shortcomings of traditional
identification methods. Its characteristics of accuracy, high efficiency and simplicity have brought about a new revolution
in the field of food identification. This paper reviews the current situation of DNA barcoding studies and summarizes the
applications of DNA barcoding to identify fishery products, meat products, edible plants, and processed foods. Finally, the
strengths and weaknesses of DNA barcoding and its development trend in the future are also discussed.

Key words: food identification, DNA barcoding, meta-barcoding, mini-barcoding