| Abstract: |
New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood recently released a report titled “Seafood Fraud and Mislabeling in New York State Supermarkets,” which details high levels of suspected seafood fraud and mislabeling at New York State supermarket chains. The attorney general’s investigation, which included DNA testing, found that more than one in four samples purchased was not sold under a federally recognized market name for that species. Mislabeling of certain popular species was rampant, including “wild” salmon (27.59 percent of samples sold as “wild” salmon were mislabeled), red snapper (67 percent were mislabeled) and lemon sole (87.5 percent were mislabeled). The substitutes were often cheaper, less desirable and less environmentally sustainable species. This includes farm-raised salmon sold as wild salmon, lane snapper sold as red snapper and swai sold as lemon sole. |
