K A S H R U T . C O M_©

The following news the foodmanufacturing.com and oceana.com posted on December 11, 2012.

Oceana found 39 percent of seafood to be mislabeled in the New York City-area. 40% of seafood sold at small grocery stores and markets were found to be mislabled. DNA testing of 142 seafood samples from 81 retail outlets, including grocery stores, restaurants and sushi venues, confirmed that 56 samples were mislabeled according to United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. Recent investigations by Oceana in Boston, Miami and Los Angeles found mislabeling rates up to 55 percent for seafood sold in sushi bars, restaurants and grocery stores. In New York 100 percent of the 16 sushi venues tested sold mislabeled fish. 94 percent of the "white tuna" was not tuna at all, but escolar, a snake mackerel that has a toxin with purgative effects for people who eat more than a small amount of the fish (and not kosher). Farmed Pangasius, a catfish- like fish, and hake were among the fish substituted for cod.

Ed. note: This is not a new story. www.kashrut.com/consumer/fish has more information on kashrus issues with fish.