May 16, 2013 — May 16, 2013 — The following was released by the Catfish Institute:
Ireland's Food Safety Authority found that one-third or more of "cod" sold in Dublin is actually cheaper, mislabeled species including Vietnamese-farmed pangasius (basa, tra and swai) and Chinese-raised tilapia, theIrish Independent reported. Citing studies by non-profit food safety groups, the Independent reported European-wide concerns over labeling fraud and the safety of Chinese and Vietnamese-farmed fish.
The European Union is seeking higher food safety standards in Asia amid concerns over unhealthy pangasius farming conditions. The World Wildlife Fund has found: "Farms are sometimes constructed and/or operated outside the legal framework for addressing environmental, social and food safety issues."
The EU is also funding a "Labelfish" project to DNA test species sold to consumers.
In the United States, the problem of mislabeled fish sold to American consumers has been the subject of many investigative news reports in recent years. Although such fraud continues to gain attention, the problem persists with little or no government action. As much as 50 percent of seafood offered on U.S. restaurant menus is not the species listed, according to the New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times and, most recently, Fox News.