Oceana Canada, a not-for-profit ocean conservation organization, is calling on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to implement “boat-to-plate” traceability to prevent mislabeling of seafood products.
Oceana completed a study in which it analyzed 382 seafood samples from 177 retailers and restaurants in Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax, and found 44% were mislabeled.
In most cases – 74% – the actual seafood products were of less expensive varieties than those listed on restaurant menus or by retailers.
“Seafood fraud, which describes any activity that misrepresents the products being purchased, is a massive issue, but most Canadians don’t even realize they are being cheated,” said Oceana Canada seafood fraud campaigner Julia Levin.
“Beyond economic concerns, seafood fraud creates food safety and health risks, threatens our oceans, cheats honest fishers and vendors and creates a market for illegally caught fish, which masks global human rights abuses.”
Of all samples labeled as “butterfish” or “white tuna,” most actually turned out to be escolar; sales of this fish have been banned in both Italy and Japan due to their side effects, which include gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. Tilapia and Japanese amberjack were also common substitutions for more expensive fish varieties.
Canada’s regulations surrounding the sale of seafood products do not include measures to deter seafood fraud, and the report said the country lacks a process to guarantee origin and species of all seafood sold in the country. Oceana is asking for the Canadian government to implement traceability rules similar to those used in the European Union. According to the organization, these rules are effective; in the E.U., seafood fraud rates dropped from 23% in 2011 to 7% in 2014.
Robert Hanner, associate professor in the department of integrative biology at the University of Guelph, said a single seafood product changes hands multiple times – and crosses multiple international borders – before it arrives on a consumer’s plate.
“A fish caught in Canada may be shipped to China to be gutted, to the U.S. to be breaded, then ultimately appear on shelves back in Canada, but be listed as an American product,” Hanner said.
“With this complex supply chain, misidentification can happen at any stage.”
@EmmaHampelBIV
