Unshelved by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum
comic strip overdue media

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

I do eat fish, so this is a concern for me

Mislabeled Fish Raise Food Allergy Risk
Nearly 40 percent of seafood sold in New York City is mislabeled, according to a conservation group’s new report on a fishy practice that spells trouble for people with food allergies.

“Recent testing has revealed that dishonest labeling and fraudulent seafood substitution for certain species is rampant and widespread,” researchers from the ocean conservation group Oceana wrote in their report, which they said was based on DNA testing of 142 seafood samples collected from unidentified New York City grocery stores, restaurants and sushi bars.

Oceana previously reported fish mislabeling rates as high as 48 percent in Boston and 55 percent in Los Angeles.

Oceana said the findings are particularly troubling given that seafood ranks among the top eight food allergens. And since fish allergies are often species-specific, experts say the bait-and-switch opens the door to dangerous exposures.
I may not be allergic to fish, but there are other things we should be concerned about, like the fact that certain substituted fish have higher mercury levels. Not to mention it's just dishonest and wrong, and consumers should get what they're paying for.

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