Fish Labeling Is Often Inaccurate, Report Shows (VIDEO)

The next time you go out for a sushi dinner, you might want to ask yourself: Do you really know what you're eating?

Consumer Reports sent fresh and frozen fish samples from the Northeast to be tested in a lab, and the results were dramatic.

The magazine purchased 190 pieces of seafood at restaurants and stores in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and found that more than 20 percent was mislabeled as different species of fish or misidentified by employees, according to an article in its upcoming December issue.

Consumer Reports said all of the 10 of the "lemon soles" and 12 of the 22 "red snappers" proved to be other species.

A five-month Boston Globe investigation reached a similar conclusion, showing that 48 percent of fish samples did not match their labels.

Earlier this year, ABC News correspondent Elisabeth Leamy reported on the prevalence of "fish fraud."

"According to Food and Drug Administration port inspections, a third of seafood sold in the U.S. is mislabeled as one type when it's actually something else, even something cheaper," Leamy reported.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's office said it plans to look into what role the state government can play in correcting the issue of mislabeled fish, according to Boston.com.

The state's Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation also plans to look into the problem, said Undersecretary Barbara Anthony.

"When consumers purchase a specific type of fish, they expect to be getting what they paid for," Anthony told the news outlet. She said she will work with restaurants, fish wholesalers, and law enforcement officials to figure out ways to "restore public confidence."

Comments

[neauxgraymare2]

02:35 PM on 10/31/2011

I had the opportunity to recently watch a show on TV about fish sales. A 'Fish Expert' was on the show and familiar with what whole fish look like. When he was shown the fish fillets in the market, he had a terrible time identifying the fish due to the remarkable changes of color and texture. Many of the fish shown were not correctly marked or a lesser-cheaper version of the fish. Restaurants certainly "Bait and Switch" fish on their menus thinking no one will be able to tell. We have so over fished our local waters.

[marekl19]

02:30 PM on 10/31/2011

Fish fraud. That applies to most of the women I dated.

[GraphicMatt]

12:30 PM on 10/31/2011

Nothing new. This has been going on for years. If you ever order scallops and every single wone is the same exact size, guess what? Those ain't real scallops.

[illustratorblog]

09:59 AM on 10/31/2011

That's explain why Korean restaurants I tried their seafood, show the actual true form of fried fish. Cool!

[B 42]

09:26 AM on 10/31/2011

Visit endoftheline.com to find out about the fishing industry and why it is so important to regulate our consumption of fish and be generally more aware of what kinds of fish we are eating.

[hawaiianstile]

07:05 AM on 10/31/2011

thats the price you pay not knowing how to feed yourself. when you only know how to be fed your at the mercy of the one feeding you. i know exactly what kind of fish im eating because i speared the damn thing myself.

[behavingbadly]

08:16 AM on 11/01/2011

I'm the same way with beef.

[jimbo57]

01:48 PM on 10/30/2011

I pointed out that mislabelling of escolar as white tuna was rife in North American sushi bars...a fact that was pointed out in Mother Jones six months ago. I pointed out the well known adverse, though admittedly not life-threatening, effects of eating escolar. I also pointed out that selling escolar for human consumption was illegal in Japan, which is also a fact. How was ANY of that abusive or offensive? What criteria do you people use to determine what is acceptable in your comments?

[jimbo57]

01:22 PM on 10/30/2011

Never order "white tuna" at a sushi bar in North America. 99% of the time it's not real white tuna (albacore) but the cheaper bycatch fish ESCOLAR or "snake mackerel". Serving escolar is ILLEGAL in Japan, because the waxy esters in the flesh of this fish have a pronounced laxative effect. Apparently North American consumers don't mind a little anal leakage...or maybe we don't want evil gubmint regulators stepping in and stopping folks from poisoning us...'cuz that's FREEDOM, or somethin'

[vesaversa1]

01:06 PM on 10/30/2011

I stop buying fish from supermarkets because you never know what your getting unless the head is still attach .I get my fish fresh from a reliable source the Atlanta fish market .But most peoples can't differentiate a Sea bass from a Salmon etc .

[ltyr2002]

12:52 PM on 10/30/2011

The collapse of fish stocks all over the world is an issue that needs more reporting.
Commercial fishers are going farther and farther from shore and ever deeper in the oceans to find fish that once were plentiful.

[Bergen2]

12:40 PM on 10/30/2011

Have pretty much given up on fish because of all the pollutants. Most of our food supply is experiencing a decline in safety (hormones, antibiotics, GM, pathogens, poisons, etc) while politicians continue to dismantle all semblance of regulation that protect people from corporate wrong doing. Bait and switch is bad enough, but offering up foods that harm or kill is so much worse.

[Realist2011]

11:57 AM on 10/30/2011

Once again, the government will spend years and millions trying to figure out how to stop this from happening, instead of just using the laws already on the books. It's called FRAUD. First offense, heavy fine. Second offense, heavier fine and closed for three months. Third offense. Closed forever and the principals can NEVER be involved with seafood of any type in the future. End of story. Why do we make things so difficult? Ander personally, I don't think I'd wait for the "third strike". Let's just go with two. After all, you can't tell me they're catching these fish, and really don't know what they are when they package and sell them.

[Runey]

11:51 AM on 10/30/2011

Soylent Green is people!

[albar]

11:48 AM on 10/30/2011

Isn't that a "racial issue"? They all look alike. LOL

[SamBilly]

11:41 AM on 10/30/2011

Poor photo selection for your story title - the photo is neither of catfish or flounder.

[ltyr2002]

12:53 PM on 10/30/2011

It's "nor".