The guardian recently analyzed data from 44 recent studies of more than 9,000 seafood samples from supermarkets, restaurants, and fishmongers. The data collected comes from more than 30 countries and shows that 36% of seafood was mislabeled.
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In some cases, fish were labeled as different species in the same family. In many cases, seafood is a cheaper, unpopular species of fish compared to what is supposed to be sold.
Because seafood is one of the most popular foods traded internationally, there is more room for mislabeling due to complex supply chains. The mislabeling of seafood is not a new problem and is significantly worse in restaurants than in stores.
Substituted fish can pose health risks. One frequent substitute for some varieties of tuna is escolar, a hard-to-digest oilfish. Others have unique parasites that may threaten health. Still others are less nutritious: when tilapia is a stand-in for red snapper, people are eating a fish with lower levels of nutrients, including lower omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Revealed: seafood fraud happening on a vast global scale
Between the mislabeling of seafood and the abundance of microplastics and other toxins often present in seafood, I generally try to avoid it altogether. When I do eat meat I stick to local grass fed organic meat, usually beef or pork.
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