Seafood Mislabeling Revealed Nationwide

Graph courtesy of Oceana

Lately the news has filled with reports of wide concern voiced over revelations that DNA samples identified 1% horse meat in products sold as beef throughout the European union.   A recently announced study by the ocean protection non profit Oceana addressees a similar situation with seafood being mislabeled in the United States.

Using U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, DNA testing found that one-third (33 percent) of  1,215 samples analyzed were mislabeled.   The report revealed that of 120 sample of Red Snapper tested, only 7 were actually Red Snapper.  The remaining 113 were some other fish.

Oceana's recent blog post concludes, "Our findings demonstrate that a comprehensive and transparent traceability system – one that tracks fish from boat to plate – must be established at the national level. At the same time, increased inspection and testing of our seafood, specifically for mislabeling, and stronger federal and state enforcement of existing laws combating fraud are needed to reverse these disturbing trends."

Further resources:
Read Christopher Mim's Atlantic blog post 59% of the 'Tuna' Americans Eat Is Not Tuna
Read Highlights from Oceana's National Seafood Fraud Testing Results
Watch Oceana's short video "Oceana Seafood Fraud B-Roll Footage" below

Whole Foods to Eliminate Red-Rated Fish

A "red-rated" fish is a species caught or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment. Color-coded ratings such as this one have been developed by the Blue Ocean Institute and Monterey Bay Aquarium. According to the Seafood Watch program, fish to avoid in the central United States include imported shrimp, red snapper, and Lake Michigan trout, among many others. Best choices include wild Alaska salmon, and US farmed tilapia and rainbow trout, among others.


Whole Foods market announced today that, as of April 2, 2012, they will no longer sell red-rated fish in their stores, instead only making green-rated ("best choice") and yellow-rated ("good alternative") available. This means that sale of fish such as Atlantic halibut, grey sole, skate, and trawl-caught Atlantic cod will be discontinued. Click here for more information about this new policy.

Further sustainable seafood and aquaculture resources:

• Seafood Recommendations Guide from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: World Review of Fisheries and Aquaculture, 2010
• Aquaculture Recommended Reading list from Wisconsin's Water Library
• Aquaculture: Water on the Web, compiled by Wisconsin's Water Library
• Aquaculture Research and Resources from the UW Sea Grant

Image via Whole Foods