UK seafood recipes narrowed to five main species, study finds

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  A study of 1,192 recipes published in Good Housekeeping over about a century found that the variety of seafood presented to U.K. readers narrowed.

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  Cod, haddock, tuna, salmon and prawns now dominate the recipes, and together account for about 80 per cent of fish eaten in the U.K., according to the Daily Mail.

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  Before the 1970s, recipes featured a wider range of seafood, including flatfish, herring and oysters.

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  The researchers found that the decline in recipe diversity began after the start of the 1970s.

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  The study links the change to declining fish catches in U.K. waters and the growing use of supermarkets, frozen foods and standardised products.

Who

Researchers, including lead author Dr Ruth Thurstan of the University of Exeter.

What

A study found that seafood variety in Good Housekeeping recipes narrowed over about a century.

When

The recipes span from 1923 to the present; the decline in diversity began after the start of the 1970s.

Where

In recipes published in the British edition of Good Housekeeping, reflecting seafood presented to U.K. readers.

Why

The study notes that the shift coincided with declining fish catches in U.K. waters and the rise of supermarkets, frozen foods and standardised products.

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