More and more, it seems that truth and justice are merely passing footnotes in history books. Especially in the U.S., where our own government lies to us on an almost daily basis, why should we expect anything different from anyone else? Even when we’re buying groceries, harmful chemicals and additives are disguised as something else. You might ask yourself, “Is the fish I’m buying properly labeled?”
Of course, that could never happen because we have the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) to inspect our food, ensure it’s properly labeled, and make sure it doesn’t contain harmful ingredients, right? (Pay no attention to the hysterical laughter in the background…) In reality, the FDA is one of the most ineffective organizations ever created. Here’s what we get for 4.3 billion hard-earned taxpayer dollars annually:
- From 2010 to 2012, a non-profit organization, OCEANA, purchased over 1,200 samples of fish from 674 retail outlets in major cities across the U.S. These samples were subjected to DNA testing by an independent facility (Oceana Testing Results).
- 87% of the samples labeled “Snapper” were actually mislabeled. DNA testing showed they were common Rockfish (Striped Bass) or Tilapia—much cheaper species.
- 57% of the “White Tuna” samples were actually Escobar, a fish known to contain toxins that adversely affect the human digestive system. While Escobar is banned in many countries, it is not banned in the U.S. (for some reason…), though it is frowned upon by the FDA.
- Halibut, grouper, sole, cod, Chilean Sea Bass, and other fish were mislabeled up to 38% of the time. In some cases, endangered or unapproved species were substituted. Shellfish and crustaceans weren’t sampled, but there’s no reason to suspect they would fare any better. Previous tests revealed that many scallops were actually stingrays, and flounders were shaped with cookie cutters. While crabs, lobsters, oysters, and shrimp would be harder to disguise, many processed frozen foods claiming to have crab actually contain surimi—a cheap, crab-flavored fish product. Also, in many cases, farm-raised fish were sold as wild-caught.
Why Isn’t the FDA Doing Anything About This?
By now, you’re probably wondering: Is the fish you’re buying properly labeled? With all this information available to the FDA, you’d think they would round up the “food police” and conduct raids on these rogue retailers and distributors, shutting them down. But you’d be wrong. The FDA has… done absolutely nothing.
That’s right, the FDA has done nothing to address this problem. Now, if you were to sell a common herb like valerian root—which has been safely used for thousands of years to help people relax, and has European studies backing it up—and tell people it would help them relax, the FDA would be at your door within 48 hours, armed with court orders and police to arrest you for violating Food Supplements regulations. But if you sell a critically endangered species, like the Mekong River Catfish, and tell someone it’s grouper, you face no prosecution or repercussions whatsoever. Bureaucracy at its finest.
Cows, pigs, chickens, and other meat animals have a chain of custody, from the farm to the processing plant to the store, making it easy to trace any problems back to their source. Even vegetables have a chain of custody, especially for items known to cause serious allergic reactions, like peanuts. But guess what? Fish records aren’t kept at all, so there’s no way to determine where the switch was made—whether it was at the store, the distributor, the broker, or the boat.
Seafood is a multi-billion-dollar global commodity. As of 2012, over 91% of seafood sold in North America is imported. To give the FDA some credit, they do inspect imported seafood… a mere 2% of it. But, of course, they don’t inspect for fraud or have any protocols to deal with it.
It may not seem like a big issue, but beyond the dishonesty, there are serious health and environmental risks involved. Some people have allergies to specific types of fish and need to know what they’re buying. Consuming Escobar can lead to severe gastrointestinal problems. Many of the substitute species contain much higher levels of pollutants, like mercury, than the labeled species should.
How Can We Fix This?
The most obvious solution would be to implement a tracking system for fish, just as we do for all other foods. Next, the FDA needs to start earning our taxpayer dollars by actually doing something useful, like conducting full inspections of all seafood to ensure proper species identification. They should be the ones carrying out random inspections of retail outlets, not non-profit organizations. Unfortunately, none of this is likely to happen, as the FDA has strong political ties to major food and drug producers.
Most people don’t have the resources to have their fish DNA-tested. But there are a few things you can do to protect yourself, aside from catching your own fish. First, buy whole fish so you can positively identify the species. Next, for steaks and fillets, examine them closely and learn what that type of fish should look like. Is the fillet too thick to have come from a snapper? Is it the right color, or is very pink meat labeled as “Rainbow Trout” when it’s obviously a salmon—probably a less commercially valuable species like Dog or Chum salmon? (I have personally witnessed this and was asked to leave the market when I pointed it out.) Are the scallops all the same size and shape (impossible for real scallops)? Does the Mahi-Mahi have dark red areas and a coarse texture (meaning it’s likely shark)? Educating yourself is the best way to avoid getting burned.
Lastly, if it seems like too good a deal, it probably is. That snapper priced at $3.99 per lb. is likely Chinese farm-raised tilapia with high pollutant levels. Until governments start doing their job and protect our food supplies, you’ll have to fend for yourself. But with some common sense and a healthy dose of skepticism, you can shift the odds in your favor. Just keep asking yourself: Is the fish you’re buying properly labeled?
