DNA testing of 142 seafood samples from 81 retail outlets, including grocery stores, restaurants and sushi venues, confirmed that 56 samples were mislabeled according to United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines.
Dr Kimberly Warner, report author and senior scientist at Oceana, said: “It’s unacceptable that New York seafood lovers are being duped more than one-third of the time when purchasing certain types of fish.
“Not only are New Yorkers being cheated when buying fraudulent fish, but those wanting to choose their seafood wisely for health, religious or conservation concerns are being seriously misled.”
Oceana’s investigation in the New York City area, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and other surrounding towns, targeted species with regional significance like cod as well as those that were found to be mislabeled in previous studies such as red snapper, white tuna and wild salmon.
Among the report’s key findings include:
Source: Oceana
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