Study: 33 Percent of Seafood is Mislabeled

"Bait and switch" never sounded so appropriate

Back in December I wrote here about the widespread substitution of cheaper species of fish for more expensive and desirable ones, a daily bait and switch that routinely goes on at retail fish markets, in restaurants and especially in sushi places.

It's gotten much worse.

Not only is Asian pangasius (or ponga) frequently passed off as everything from catfish to sole to flounder to grouper, and not only is premium red snapper hardly ever actual red snapper, but farmed fish like salmon is often sold as "wild caught." Many choose wild caught for perceived health and sustainably reasons, so fish fraud goes beyond taste into actual endangerment. In fact as a new study today revels, there are much more serious health risks associated with this widespread fraud.