A new report from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) counters the claims of rampant seafood mislabeling made by Oceana and multiple media organizations, reports Seafood Source.
The results of the FDA’s extensive, two-year seafood labeling investigation found that 85 percent of the seafood it tested was properly labeled.
In fiscal year 2012 and 2013, the agency conducted nearly 700 DNA tests on cod, haddock, catfish, snapper, grouper and pangasius samples. At FDA investigators’ discretion, additional sampling was taken from other species, including mahimahi, orange roughy, monkfish and swordfish.
The samples of fillets, whole fish and packaged fish were collected from wholesalers in 14 states, prior to being sold in restaurants or at retail stores. The FDA found that none of the catfish, cod, haddock, swai, mahimahi, orange roughy, monkfish and swordfish were mislabeled. However, 37 percent of the snapper samples were mislabeled, as were 11 percent of grouper samples.
“This extensive federal analysis brings the challenge of mislabeling into a much clearer focus,” said John Connelly, president of the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), in a statement.
“While at the same time calling into question other mislabeling ‘studies’ that suggest the issue is widespread and in need of a legislative fix.”
NFI officials said the study results confirm what the organization has been pushing for: enforcement of federal and state anti-fraud labeling laws, rather than new legislation.
Read more HERE.
The results of the FDA’s extensive, two-year seafood labeling investigation found that 85 percent of the seafood it tested was properly labeled.
In fiscal year 2012 and 2013, the agency conducted nearly 700 DNA tests on cod, haddock, catfish, snapper, grouper and pangasius samples. At FDA investigators’ discretion, additional sampling was taken from other species, including mahimahi, orange roughy, monkfish and swordfish.
The samples of fillets, whole fish and packaged fish were collected from wholesalers in 14 states, prior to being sold in restaurants or at retail stores. The FDA found that none of the catfish, cod, haddock, swai, mahimahi, orange roughy, monkfish and swordfish were mislabeled. However, 37 percent of the snapper samples were mislabeled, as were 11 percent of grouper samples.
“This extensive federal analysis brings the challenge of mislabeling into a much clearer focus,” said John Connelly, president of the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), in a statement.
“While at the same time calling into question other mislabeling ‘studies’ that suggest the issue is widespread and in need of a legislative fix.”
NFI officials said the study results confirm what the organization has been pushing for: enforcement of federal and state anti-fraud labeling laws, rather than new legislation.
Read more HERE.
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