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Mislabeled fish: What you don’t know can hurt you 12/11 (Part one of a 3-part series adapted from the December 2011 Consumer Reports magazine.) Mislabeled fish 3-part series: Part one: What you don't know can hurt you | Part two: What you can do | Part three: Overfished or not?
Whether deliberate or not, mislabeling can hurt you and the environment in several ways: if you mistakenly eat species that are high in mercury or other contaminants, it can harm your health; if you find out you’ve mistakenly bought species whose numbers are low or endangered, it can harm the planet; and, of course, if you pay expensive prices for seafood that is actually a cheaper, less desirable fish, it can hurt your wallet. In harm’s way In Consumer Reports’ tests, both fresh and frozen fish samples were sent to an outside lab for DNA testing. Researchers extracted genetic material from each sample and compared the genetic sequences against standardized gene fragments that identify its species in much the same way that criminal investigators use genetic fingerprinting. (See How we tested: Using DNA to solve a mystery.) Some fish were sampled more widely than others. Still, our results provide a snapshot of what a shopper might buy. Among the key findings: • Eighteen percent of the samples didn't match the names on placards, labels, or menus. Fish were incorrectly passed off as catfish, grey sole, grouper, halibut, king salmon, lemon sole, red snapper, sockeye salmon, and yellowfin tuna.Specious species Here's what the DNA tests revealed compared to what companies told Consumer Reports when they were asked about their seafood-selling policies. (Test results were not revealed to the companies.) Fish are listed below in order of percentage mislabeled--from most mislabeled to least mislabeled. Red snapper—most mislabeled None of the 22 "red snappers" bought at 18 markets could be positively identified as such. Eight were deemed possible DNA matches, one was described incorrectly by a store employee, and the species of another could not be conclusively determined at all. The remaining 12 turned out to be ocean perch and other kinds of snapper. At a Whole Foods Market in White Plains, N.Y., it cost $22.99 a pound for "red snapper" that testing showed was actually vermilion snapper, a smaller, poorer cousin. Nevertheless, Carrie Brownstein, Whole Foods' global seafood quality standards coordinator, says that the company has its own seafood facilities where its buyers see the species received first-hand. "Since the buyers are experts at species identification, this makes us less vulnerable than competitors to species substitution," she says, adding that the company is also working to ensure the traceability of seafood from the fishery or farm to its stores. Sole Just 9 of 20 samples told the truth. A "grey sole" fillet that cost $3.99 a pound was really sutchi catfish, often farmed in Asia. Of 10 misidentified lemon soles, one turned out to be Greenland turbot; three were blackback flounder, commonly (but incorrectly) referred to as lemon sole; three were identified as summer flounder; and three were not lemon sole, though the particular species could not be determined. To avoid confusion, the FDA says that most fish nicknames are unacceptable identification, but that's merely guidance, not a regulation. Halibut Atlantic halibut has been overfished, according to the Department of Commerce's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), but Pacific halibut has healthier populations. It's not easy being green, though, because labels don't have to distinguish between the two. Eight samples labeled simply as halibut were the more vulnerable Atlantic species; at four stores, employees told our shoppers that Atlantic halibut was Pacific. Of the 11 other "halibut" samples, one was summer flounder, a different kind of fish altogether. Catfish Three of the 21 "catfish" samples were Pangasius hypophthalmus, or sutchi catfish. None of the three bore country-of-origin labels (they were bought in small fish markets, where such labeling isn't required), but sutchi catfish are largely imported from Vietnam, where some fish farmers use drugs that are unapproved in the U.S. The rest were Ictaluridae, the only family that can be marketed in the U.S. as plain ol' "catfish," according to a law Congress passed in 2002. The law had support from the U.S. catfish industry, which has accused Vietnam of dumping catfish on the American market. Six years later, Congress passed a law transferring catfish inspection authority from the FDA, which seldom examines imported seafood, to the Department of Agriculture, which requires foreign facilities to meet U.S. standards. Now the USDA must decide whether it will inspect only catfish in the Ictaluridae family or all domestic and imported catfish. Salmon The tests showed that 24 of 28 salmon were labeled correctly. But two "king salmon" and two "sockeye salmon" fillets were actually coho, generally the least expensive of the three salmon species we bought. At a Wegmans in Manalapan Township, N.J., it cost $17.99 a pound for "king salmon" that was actually coho. At the same store, correctly labeled coho salmon was bought for $3 less per pound. Jo Natale, director of media relations at Wegmans, says that among other actions, the company has worked with the same vendors for many years; buys whole fresh fish and skin-on fillets, making it easier to identify the species; and has worked with organizations that help monitor the fish that Wegmans sells. Grouper Thirteen of 15 grouper samples were correctly labeled—but many species of grouper are overfished. As for the two mislabeled samples, one fillet was pollock, and the other was tilefish, that high-mercury species. Cod All 24 samples labeled as cod or scrod cod were indeed cod. But two samples were labeled only "scrod"—unacceptable to the FDA because that word describes a small fish, not a species. Labels should say "scrod cod," "scrod haddock," or "scrod pollock." One of our solo scrod was a cod, the other a pollock. As with halibut labels, cod labels don't have to specify whether the species is Atlantic cod, whose populations are considered low by the NMFS, or Pacific cod, considered more abundant and sustainable. Seven of the samples tested were Atlantic cod. They included broiled fish bought at Red Lobster restaurants in Scarsdale, N.Y., and Paramus, N.J., as well as a fillet from a Whole Foods store in Edgewater, N.J. Red Lobster and Whole Foods representatives were asked whether they have policies against selling fish that are vulnerable or overfished. Roger Bing, vice president of seafood purchasing for Darden, the parent company of Red Lobster, says that the company doesn't serve species considered at risk and cited a policy of using third-party certification of "best aquaculture practices" for a growing number of farmed species. Whole Foods' Brownstein says that the company has partnered with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which certifies sustainable, well-managed fisheries. Stores display the MSC eco-label, which is somewhat helpful. (See "Overfished or not?".) By Earth Day 2012 (April 22), she says, Whole Foods will stop selling most wild-caught seafood ranked "red" by the Blue Ocean Institute, or the Monterey Bay Aquarium, seafood watchdog groups. A red ranking indicates that the population has been overfished or caught in ways that might harm other marine life or habitat. Brownstein says that cod and sole have a deadline of Earth Day 2013. She says that the extra time is needed to try to find solutions, such as lower-impact fishing methods, that could improve the sustainability rankings of those fisheries. "It takes time to make changes on the water," she says. Tuna The two most expensive samples of fish in the tests, bought for $49.99 and $64.99 per pound at a specialty store in New Jersey, were correctly labeled as bluefin tuna. But bluefin are in decline, eco-watchdog groups report, and should be avoided. One of the 10 tuna samples labeled "yellowfin" was actually bigeye. Four samples labeled "ahi tuna" were yellowfin, and four others, including three sashimis from Bonefish Grill, were bigeye. According to FDA officials, it's acceptable for various species of tuna to be labeled as ahi tuna as long as that doesn't confuse consumers. Anyone wishing to avoid seafood high in mercury should take note: The mercury content of different tuna species that may be labeled as ahi tuna can vary. According to FDA data, bigeye tuna averages about twice the mercury concentration of yellowfin and albacore. Chilean sea bass 19 steaks and fillets from 19 restaurants and stores were bought in various sizes, among them: an A&P in Greenwich, Conn.; three Bonefish Grills in New York and New Jersey; and two Whole Foods stores in New York and New Jersey. All of the samples matched their labels. That's good news, except that some Chilean sea bass should be avoided, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. Marcy Connor, a spokeswoman for A&P, says that the chain makes every effort not to sell species considered unsustainable. A Bonefish Grill representative says that the company is dedicated to responsible fishing practices and the healthy stewardship of the world's marine resources. Whole Foods' Brownstein says that the company has prohibited the sale of especially vulnerable species unless they come from fisheries that the MSC has certified as sustainable. MSC's certification of some Chilean sea bass was recently called into question by researchers at Clemson University and elsewhere who tested 36 MSC-certified Chilean sea bass bought at retail stores and found that three were other species. Amy Jackson, deputy standards director at the MSC, says that the organization has launched an investigation. Related links Mislabeled fish: What you can do 12/11 Using DNA to solve a mystery. 12/11 Overfished or not: Assessing labels and claims. 12/11 Sole searching: Have you seen this fish? 12/11 Mercury in tuna still a concern. 1/11 Seafood: green buying guide. 10/10 The trouble with salmon. 10/10 Mislabeled fish 3-part series: Part one: What you don't know can hurt you | Part two: What you can do | Part three: Overfished or not? |
