The idea may be silly, but fish fraud is a serious and widespread problem. A recent study by Oceana found that 1 out of 3 pieces of fish sold in grocery stores and restaurants are mislabeled!
NC State, June 26, 2019 - Have you ever stopped to ask yourself if the fish you recently bought at Whole Foods or Harris Teeter is the actual fish type it was labeled as? If your answer is no, you might be the next victim of fish fraud!
Fish fraud is when seafood is mislabeled at a grocery store or when a consumer is not served the seafood type they ordered and paid for. For example, if you went to the grocery store and bought Snapper, more likely than not you were actually sold Tilapia, a much cheaper fish.
Today in Dr. Reade Robert's Lab, we tested for fish fraud on samples of fish from the local grocery store. We extracted the DNA out of three different fish: Grouper, Tilapia, and Swordfish. Then we ran a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) to amplify the DNA. After, we ran a gel electrophoresis to compare the fish DNA. We noticed that the Grouper did not match the known DNA Grouper sequence. FISH FRAUD!!
This lab shows the reality of fish fraud in the United States as well as around the world. It is important to know because not only are you overpaying for your food but different fish can have different impacts on human health.
Next time you plan to eat seafood, make sure you are not the next victim of fish fraud!
For more information: https://oceana.org/sites/default/files/National_Seafood_Fraud_Testing_Results_Highlights_FINAL.pdf
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