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Tests Reveal Mislabeling of Fish
NY Times ^ | 5/26/11 | ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

Posted on 05/27/2011 4:29:34 PM PDT by LibWhacker

Scientists aiming their gene sequencers at commercial seafood are discovering rampant labeling fraud in supermarket coolers and restaurant tables: cheap fish is often substituted for expensive fillets, and overfished species are passed off as fish whose numbers are plentiful.

Yellowtail stands in for mahi-mahi. Nile perch is labeled as shark, and tilapia may be the Meryl Streep of seafood, capable of playing almost any role.

Recent studies by researchers in North America and Europe harnessing the new techniques have consistently found that 20 to 25 percent of the seafood products they check are fraudulently identified, fish geneticists say.

Labeling regulation means little if the “grouper” is really catfish or if gulf shrimp were spawned on a farm in Thailand.

Environmentalists, scientists and foodies are complaining that regulators are lax in policing seafood, and have been slow to adopt the latest scientific tools even though they are now readily available and easy to use.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: dna; fish; mislabeling; seafood
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I love seafood, sheesh!
1 posted on 05/27/2011 4:29:38 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: LibWhacker
tilapia may be the Meryl Streep of seafood, capable of playing almost any role.

I've only knowingly bought tilapia once and it was the nastiest fishiest crap I've ever tasted. After a couple of bites I passed it off to the dogs and even they turned their noses up at it.
2 posted on 05/27/2011 4:33:59 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: LibWhacker

Mystery meat. Yum. Love seafood so it’s all good, maybe.


3 posted on 05/27/2011 4:35:09 PM PDT by allmost
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To: LibWhacker

Well, this could explain why I always say I’m allergic to some kinds of fish, but I don’t know which ones. I tend to avoid all fish, just to be on the safe side.


4 posted on 05/27/2011 4:37:57 PM PDT by exDemMom (Now that I've finally accepted that I'm living a bad hair life, I'm more at peace with the world.)
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To: LibWhacker

5 posted on 05/27/2011 4:47:47 PM PDT by Bean Counter (Your what hurts??)
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To: LibWhacker
Yellowtail stands in for mahi-mahi.

Unlikely. Yellowtail is far more expensive than mahi-mahi.
6 posted on 05/27/2011 4:48:05 PM PDT by LanaTurnerOverdrive ("I've done a lot of things in my life that I'm not proud of. And the things I am proud of are disgus)
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To: cripplecreek

Your Talapia had turned. Properly stored and prepared Talapia has almost no flavor. It’s merely a delivery device for protien.


7 posted on 05/27/2011 4:49:58 PM PDT by LanaTurnerOverdrive ("I've done a lot of things in my life that I'm not proud of. And the things I am proud of are disgus)
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To: LibWhacker
Why bother eating fish unless the fish is Lake Erie perch and the portion is all you can eat?

(There is no satisfactory answer.)


8 posted on 05/27/2011 4:50:59 PM PDT by I see my hands (Embrace misanthropy)
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To: cripplecreek

I’ve eaten tilapia twice and both times I got violently ill about 7 hours later. Never have had that kind of reaction to any other food in my life.


9 posted on 05/27/2011 4:52:59 PM PDT by MsLady (Be the kind of woman that when you get up in the morning, the devil says, "Oh crap, she's UP !!")
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To: MsLady

I don’t eat tilapia. It’s disgusting, imho.


10 posted on 05/27/2011 4:54:43 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: MsLady

Cook it a little longer.


11 posted on 05/27/2011 4:55:01 PM PDT by allmost
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To: MsLady

I’ve eaten tilapia twice

There’s your problem. Next time just eat it once.


12 posted on 05/27/2011 4:56:19 PM PDT by csmusaret (Sarah says "Drill baby drill." Obama says "Drill in Brazil.")
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To: LanaTurnerOverdrive
"Talapia has almost no flavor"

Unless you count sweet. Especially when it's caramelized under the broiler.


13 posted on 05/27/2011 4:56:51 PM PDT by I see my hands (Embrace misanthropy)
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To: LibWhacker

So true. As a long time commercial fisherman. Never buy seafood unless you catch it. they bleach it with Clorox to kill the smell and whiten it.


14 posted on 05/27/2011 4:57:46 PM PDT by screaminsunshine (Socialism...Easier said than done.)
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To: cripplecreek

Tilapia is sold everywhere, I can’t stand it.


15 posted on 05/27/2011 5:00:02 PM PDT by alice_in_bubbaland (DeMint 2012! or Herman Cain 2012!)
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To: alice_in_bubbaland

Oddly enough, I had a dream about smelt dipping last night.


16 posted on 05/27/2011 5:02:03 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: cripplecreek

LOL!


17 posted on 05/27/2011 5:05:11 PM PDT by alice_in_bubbaland (DeMint 2012! or Herman Cain 2012!)
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To: LanaTurnerOverdrive

From what I have seen, Alaskan pollock also has very little flavor. I think they use it as a base for fish or crab products then add whatever ingredients they want to make it taste like something else.


18 posted on 05/27/2011 5:05:56 PM PDT by yarddog
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To: cripplecreek
Re: Tilapia.

I'm surprised by your reaction. It's a very mild white-fleshed fish with a very subtle flavor. I cook boneless filets frequently, adding a sprinkle of Penzey's Cajun or Trinidad spice or a seasoned beer batter coating. It's also wonderful in Thai and Indian curry sauces.

I suspect your tilapia was over the hill. I buy nearly all my fish quick-frozen -- it's much fresher than any I can find in local markets.

19 posted on 05/27/2011 5:11:26 PM PDT by Bernard Marx
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To: cripplecreek
I buy Talipia at Costco all the time and it is very good white meat. I put it in a dish of melted butter sprinkle with Lemon Pepper and Dill and bake for about 30-40 min. when I put it in frozen.

When I see it at Walmart I WILL NOT BUY IT because it has all these red veins or whatever they are and I have NEVER seen them in the ones I get at Costco. I have ordered a Talapia at a restaurant and it did taste awful. They must have bought it from Walmart.

20 posted on 05/27/2011 5:11:53 PM PDT by Spunky (Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.)
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