How to Tell If Caviar Is Real: 10 Checks to Spot Fake Caviar

◆ Last updated: 21 October 2026   ◆ By LeDiamont — Zervan GmbH

What counts as “real” caviar?

The international food standard Codex Alimentarius defines caviar as “the product made from fish eggs of the Acipenseridae family”, the sturgeon family, “by treating with food grade salt”. Everything else is fish roe or imitation caviar, even when the jar says “caviar” in large letters with a smaller word in front (“salmon caviar”, “lumpfish caviar”).

Why fake caviar is a real problem

Caviar is valuable, sturgeon are protected, and the product is hard to identify by eye. That combination attracts fraud.

In a 2015 study, researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), working with WWF, analysed 27 caviar samples bought in Bulgaria and Romania:

• ◆only 10 labelled tins or jars matched the species code on their label;
• ◆4 were mislabelled;
• ◆7 were sold without any label on the container;
• ◆6 were counterfeit: three contained no animal DNA at all, one was lumpsucker roe, and two were most likely made from sturgeon meat rather than roe.
• ◆4 samples, sold as wild Danube caviar, came from the critically endangered Beluga sturgeon and were traded illegally.

Checks 1–4: read the label

1. Look for the sturgeon species

Genuine caviar names the fish, ideally with its Latin name. The three-letter codes below are the official CITES species codes used on caviar labels:

A hybrid is shown with two codes: the code of the male species, then “x”, then the code of the female species (for example DAUxSCH). If a tin only says “black caviar”, “Russian-style caviar” or “Caspian caviar”, without a species, be cautious.

2. Find the CITES code

Since 1 April 1998, all sturgeon and paddlefish species have been listed under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Under the CITES universal labelling system, every primary container of caviar in international trade carries a non-reusable label with a code like this one (illustrative example):

If caviar has been repackaged, the repackaging plant adds its own label with the year of repackaging, its registration code (which includes the country of repackaging) and a lot or permit number.

3. Check the source code

Caviar sold legally today comes from sturgeon farms, shown by C (or sometimes F). A W (wild) code is a red flag: trade in wild caviar is banned today, and such a product is almost always illegal or counterfeit.

4. Check ingredients, dates and storage

Fresh caviar lists sturgeon roe and salt, sometimes with a permitted preservative (in the EU, for example, borax/boric acid E 285 is authorised only for sturgeon eggs). It has a use-by date and says keep refrigerated. A jar of “caviar” stored for months on an unrefrigerated shelf is either pasteurised (and labelled as such) or not fresh sturgeon caviar; read the label carefully.

Checks 5–8: use your senses

5. Look at the pearls

• ◆Real: distinct, round, glossy pearls of a fairly even size for the species, with natural colour variations (grey, brown, olive, golden). A small lighter spot is sometimes visible on each egg.
• ◆Fake or poor quality: dull, mushy or broken eggs; perfectly identical spheres (often a sign of a gelled imitation); an unnatural jet-black colour.

6. Do the white-plate test for dye

Put a few pearls on a white plate or a piece of kitchen paper, or on a little crème fraîche, and wait a minute. Dyed lumpfish or capelin roe can leave black or blue-black stains. Real sturgeon caviar does not bleed colour.

7. Smell it

Real caviar smells clean, fresh and faintly of the sea. A strong fishy, sour, chemical or ammonia smell points to poor quality, spoilage or a cheap substitute. If it smells wrong, don’t taste it; see how to tell if caviar has gone bad.

8. Taste and texture

Press a few pearls gently against the roof of your mouth:

• ◆Real: the pearls pop gently and release a buttery, nutty or briny flavour with a long, clean finish.
• ◆Imitation: crunchy (lumpfish, tobiko) or gelatinous (seaweed or agar pearls), very salty or one-dimensional, with almost no finish.

Checks 9–10: the price and the seller

9. Compare the price per gram

Real sturgeon caviar is expensive because sturgeon take many years to mature before they produce roe (see why caviar is so expensive). For reference, the 30 g tins on our own product pages ranged from about CHF 1.90 to CHF 3.83 per gram on 21 October 2026 (see our Caviar Price Guide).

• ◆“Caviar” sold for a small fraction of that is almost certainly fish roe or an imitation.
• ◆“Beluga” priced like entry-level caviar is very likely a hybrid or another species.
• ◆A high price is not proof either. Check the label as well.

10. Check the seller

A trustworthy caviar seller:

• ◆names the species, origin and producer of every product;
• ◆can show the CITES code and documentation on request;
• ◆ships chilled, in insulated packaging;
• ◆gives clear storage instructions and use-by dates;
• ◆has a real company name, address and contact details.

Be careful with marketplace listings, social-media sellers and “too good to be true” offers without documentation.

Quick checklist: is this caviar real?

What to do if you suspect fake caviar

1. 1Don’t eat it if it smells or looks wrong.
2. 2Photograph the tin, the label and the packaging.
3. 3Contact the seller with your photos and ask for the CITES documentation.
4. 4Ask for a refund if the product doesn’t match its description.
5. 5Report it: for food concerns, to your cantonal food control authority; for suspected illegal wildlife trade, to the CITES management authority (in Switzerland, the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, FSVO) or to customs.

How we help you buy with confidence

At LeDiamont, our product pages state the origin of each caviar and, for most of them, the sturgeon species; we ship caviar chilled, with storage instructions. Check the code on your tin, and if you have any question about a product’s species, origin or CITES documentation, contact our team.

Browse our caviar

Two more useful markers: the term malossol, which means lightly salted, and the difference between farmed and wild caviar.

Frequently asked questions