Up to a quarter of fish in stores and restaurants in New York City was mislabeled as a more expensive variety, according to samples collected by two U.S. teenagers and tested with modern genetic identification methods.
In the worst cases, two samples of filleted fish sold as red snapper, caught mostly off the southeast United States and in the Caribbean, were instead the endangered Acadian redfish from the North Atlantic.
“We never expected these results. People should get what they pay for,” Kate Stoeckle, 18, told Reuters of the project with Louisa Strauss, 17.
The two classmates from New York’s Trinity school collected and sent off 60 fish samples to the University of Guelph in Canada. Of 56 samples that could be identified by a four-year-old DNA identification technique, 14 were mislabeled.
In all cases, the fish was labeled as a more costly type, apparently ruling out simple chance.
Uh-huh. Why am I not surprised?
Is this story a RED HERRING or just some RED DYE NUMBER 3 ???
This is very interesting indeed. Where are the regulators?
I would much rather have the FDA oversee seafood than how many lips and penis’s can be ground up to make a hot dog.
These restaurants SHOULD HAVE BEEN NAMED!!
You don’t need a DNA kit either. I went to a first class restaurant and ordered a whole flounder==the specialty of the house and the eyes were on opposite sides of the fish.
I pointed this out to the waiter and he admitted the fish was actually from down lower on the menu. Tasted just about the same but was half the price. So, I paid the menu rate for the cheaper fish but did not leave a tip. Waiter was still pissed.
Read, “Kitchen Confidential” nothing will surprise or shock you anymore about eating out.
Something smells fishy here.
Figures …
….and i would have got a way with it too, if it wasn’t for those darn kids!
#3 – Mr. C. Dvorak
>>These restaurants SHOULD HAVE BEEN NAMED!!
Or at a minimum, the names should have been handed over to the proper regulatory authorities, and have been closed down.
But hey. It’s Noo Yawk Schitty. Anybody who expects a fair deal there, I guess they deserve what they get.
#4 – Bobbolina
>>I pointed this out to the waiter and he
>>admitted the fish was actually from down
>>lower on the menu.
Did it occur to you to send it back, or to demand the lower price? If I ordered filet mignon, and the waiter brought out pigs’ feet, that’s what I would do.
Mustard==call me paranoid but I never send anything back in a restaurant==I’ve seen too many video’s of cooks peeing into the soup stock.
I considered not paying at all, but being in Rio DeJaniero, I was fearful of any local pay-offs to the police and such. As a stranger in a strange land, I didn’t want to push it too far. I use pretty much the same rules in the USA==for the same reasons.
Known more commonly as “Special Sauce”.
#12
or “House Mustard”
Wouldn’t you think that the endangered Arcadian Redfish would be more expensive than common red snapper? Especially since you may be eating the last one.
#14–lynn==gee, you’re right. Every menu I have ever seen shows a surcharge for endangered species. Where are the Fish and Wildlife folks when fine dining is underway?
Theyre still trying to convince us that DNA is evidence of anything.
#5. “Read, “Kitchen Confidential” nothing will surprise or shock you anymore about eating out” An interesting book! Bourdain, also made a wonderful TV series where he travels the World and basically offends everyone while eating their cuisines. Take his tip, never order fish on a Monday.
How many people are checking to see if this food is even safe to eat much less what it is labled as?
“In all cases, the fish was labeled as a more costly type, apparently ruling out simple chance.”
Like the grocery store bar code that always rings up higher than the posted price, never lower.
“Uh-huh. Why am I not surprised?”
I’d be even more surprised if any fines or loss of a license was the result of this. Retro-active punishments only happen to the rest of us, who don’t contribute to city officials’ election campaigns.
BTW, this sounds like it would make a great subject for another Michael Moore movie. Call it “Eatos”. And show just what America’s food industry manages to get away with. Not just in diners, but in grocery stores too. They keep the “Navel” orange sign up in one of our local stores. Even though those are out of season, and they put the vaguely marked Valencias in its place. And who knows what else they’re getting away with. Andy Rooney use to point out things like shrinking coffee cans, and lighter toilet rolls. But not for a long time now.
The government is supposed to check for fraud like this. That’s why stores pay a license to operate. But apparently the government (states?) are using the money for something else besides inspections. And if it sort of fraud happens often enough. Then it would justify raising the fines and fees these store pay for being dishonest. Ideally, the worst get driven out of business. But I guess the largest will always be able to weather the fines. Remember this when you think Cosco or BJs is giving you a great deal. It may not.
Sterling work! These young ladies are to be congratulated! (How much do you want to bet their schools’ science budgets will be cut next year?)
# 18 deowll said:
“How many people are checking to see if this food is even safe to eat much less what it is labled as?”
About seven, as far as I can tell.