Fishy Seafood Labeling

About 1 billion people rely on fish as their main source of protein, but do we really have any idea what we are eating? Some of the less desirable fish are being disguised under attractive names because they are cheaper or easier to catch. Mislabeled seafood can not only harm our health, but it creates a market for illegal fishing.

snopes.com / Via oceana.org

Currently, more than 90% of the seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported. Less than 1% of the imported seafood is inspected for fraud by the government. There are more than 1,700 different species of seafood from all over the world available for sale in the U.S., so asking the consumer to identify what they are eating will usually not end in an accurate guess.

Which cities had the most mislabeled seafood?

oceana.org / Via oceana.org

From 2010 to 2012, Oceana conducted a seafood fraud investigation, collecting over 1,200 samples from 674 retail outlets in 21 states to determine if they were honestly labeled. DNA testing found that one-third, or 33%, of the 1,215 seafood samples were mislabeled, according to FDA guidelines. The most commonly mislabeled fish were snapper and tuna, with 87% and 59% mislabeled, respectively.

oceana.org / Via huffingtonpost.com

To make things more confusing, the standards for seafood aren't consistent from state to state. For example, rockfish can be called Pacific red snapper in California, but not in New York.

Hidden costs of consuming seafood

nytimes.com / Via huffingtonpost.com

If you eat fish once a week, you could end up overspending by $500 or more in a single year. For example, tilapia is sometimes disguised as red snapper. Tilapia fillets cost around $8/pound and red snapper costs around $24/pound. The same goes for flounder and halibut. Flounder is usually around $14 per pound, but if it's labeled as halibut, it can be sold at $25 per pound. It's like paying for filet mignon but getting only ground beef; you might be getting seriously ripped off.

How to ensure you know what you're eating

reddit.com / Via huffingtonpost.com

-Go to the source! Farmer's markets or piers are your best bet.

-Buy fish that aren't usually mislabeled (check out the list and map included in this article).

-Buy it in a can. Canned fish doesn't pass through many hands, so there hasn't been a problem with mislabeled canned seafood....at least not yet.

-Ask questions about your seafood! The more the customers ask, the more likely it will be that the companies, markets, and restaurants actually search for answers about the seafood.

-Don't forget to check out the Seafood Watch app where you can get seafood recommendations as well as a list of businesses that have ocean-friendly seafood! (Seafoodwatch.org)