Consumers sitting down for a nice dinner and ordering either grouper or snapper at a restaurant in the U.S. have a better than even chance of actually getting served catfish, tilapia or some other inexpensive alternative instead. Of course, as The Miami Herald reports, these same establishments are very unlikely to inform patrons that a switcheroo has taken place.
Mahmood Shivji, a geneticist who heads the Guy Harvey Research Institute, tested plates from about 100 restaurants across the country and discovered through genetic testing that more than half had served something other than the grouper or snapper ordered from the menu.
"It's consumer fraud,' said Dr. Shivji, who teaches at Nova Southeastern University. "You're paying for item X and usually grouper and red snapper are on the higher end of the price list.'
According to the Herald report, domestic grouper costs $11 or $12 a pound wholesale while imported catfish is only $2.50 a pound. Restaurants that have made the switch unbeknownst to their customers are clearly achieving greater margins even if their actions are a karma no-no.
Dr. Shivji's research has found that consumers are not the only victims of this fishy bait and switch. Wholesalers and restaurants may not always be aware they are buying and selling something other than grouper or snapper.
A lack of government inspectors combined with consumers not familiar with various species means fish mislabeling is virtually guaranteed to continue. A Government Accountability Office report found the Food and Drug Administration was overmatched in trying to deal with the issue.
Mislabeling may also have serious health consequences for consumers who may eat a species they are allergic to or another for a variety of reasons that may also cause illness.
Discussion Questions: Do you think the high incidence of mislabeled fish will lead to a crisis in consumer confidence? What can wholesalers, retailers and restaurants do, separate from the government, to ensure the integrity of the fish market in the U.S.?