WASHINGTON — One-third of seafood sold at restaurants and grocery stores in the U.S. is mislabeled, according to a new report from ocean conservation group Oceana.
From 2010 to 2012, Oceana conducted DNA testing on 1,215 samples from 674 retail outlets in 21 states to determine if seafood was accurately labeled.
The group found mislabeling occurred in 27 of the 46 fish types tested, with the most commonly mislabeled types being snapper (87%) and tuna (59%).
“Purchasing seafood has become the ultimate guessing game for U.S. consumers,” Beth Lowell, campaign director at Oceana, said in a statement. “Whether you live in Florida or Kansas, no one is safe from seafood fraud. We need to track our seafood from boat to plate so that consumers can be more confident that the fish they purchase is safe, legal and honestly labeled.”
The study also found that supermarkets were the most honest in their seafood labeling, with only 18% of those visited showing some instance of mislabeling. Sushi restaurants were the worst offenders, with 74% guilty of mislabeling, compared to 38% of restaurants overall.
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