A message from the Catfish Institute

Fraudulent labeling of imported seafood is a growing economic and health problem. A report by conservation group Oceana shows that as many as 7-in-10 American orders for grouper, red snapper, or other popular wild seafoods, actually receive cheaper farmed species imported from Asia. Such seafood fraud is a health concern. Consumers may unknowingly expose themselves to dangerous chemical and drug additives illegal for use in the United States --- or unwittingly eat fish they are allergic to. Although 84 percent of the seafood eaten by Americans is imported, only two percent is inspected for safety, and less than 0.001 percent is checked for labeling fraud. In 2010, for example, nearly ten million pounds of a cheap, catfish-like species imported from Vietnam was sold in the U.S. as grouper and sole. Consumers in several cities paid as much as $25 a plate for this $3 per pound fish, which was mislabeled as grouper.

Bait and Switch: How Seafood Fraud Hurts Our Oceans, Our Wallets and Our Health

For More Information: The Catfish Institute news@UScatfish.com