Tracing Seafood from Vessel to Plate: Avoiding a Bait and Switch Beth Lowell December 12, 2013
Traceability in the U.S. Ensuring the seafood sold in the U.S. is safe, legally caught and honestly labeled 2
What is Seafood Fraud? Not giving the real name of the fish Not telling where it really came from Not giving accurate weight Adding extra water, ice or breadcrumbs Calling fish fresh that was previously frozen 4
Species Substitution 5
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Seafood Cards Frustrating
Escolar FDA Statement on Consumption of Escolar and Oilfish FDA advises against sale in...interstate commerce, and requests that seafood manufacturers...should inform potential buyers...of the purgative effect associated with the consumption of these fish. Banned in Italy
Your Right to Know QUESTIONS THAT SHOULD BE ANSWERED: What species is it? Is it wild-caught or farm raised? Where was it caught (or raised)? By what ship of what country? Using what gear? When was it caught? Is it fresh? Thawed? Frozen? Refrozen? Where was it processed?
Pacific vs. Atlantic Halibut (as seen by Oceana)
Pacific vs. Atlantic Halibut (as seen by most people)
Seafood Mislabeling Where Does it Occur? Processing Harvest Processing Distribution Harvest Retail Import Food Service Processing From Bait and Switch report by Oceana 2011
Oceana 2010-2012 Study 14
Sampling 674 retail outlets Restaurants Grocery stores Sushi bars 15
Verification Species verified through Third-Party DNA testing Checked against labeled name and FDA Fish List 16
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Results 33 percent of samples analyzed nationwide were mislabeled. 44 percent of all grocery stores, restaurants and sushi restaurants visited sold mislabeled seafood 18
Across Outlets Sushi restaurants (74 percent) Restaurants (38 percent) Grocery stores (18 percent) 20
Across Species Mislabeling was found in 27 of the 46 fish types tested (59%) Between one-fifth to more than onethird of the halibut, grouper, cod and Chilean seabass samples were mislabeled. 21
Snapper Most commonly mislabeled fish type. 87% mislabeling Red Snapper 22
Species substitutions Red snapper White tuna Nile tilapia, Mozambique 18 tilapia, 5 blue tilapia, 3 pinjalo, 1 goldbanded jobfish, 2 yellowtail snapper, 1 vermilion snapper, 1 spotted rose snapper, 4 silk snapper, Pacific 1 dog snapper, 1 Pacific lane snapper, snapper, 1 3 blueline tilefish, 1 Caribbean red crimson snapper, 5 snapper, 6 white bass, 5 gilt headed bream, 4 madai, 5 summer flounder, 1 pollock, 2 ocean perch, 13 rockfish, 2 blue rockfish, 1 chilipepper rockfish, 3 darkblotched rockfish, 4 rougheye rockfish, 1 vermilion rockfish, 2 widow yellowtail rockfish, 3 rockfish, 12 tuna sp., 2 tuna, bluefin Pacific, 1 "white tuna, albacore", 4 tuna, albacore, 7 escolar
Number of Fish Species substitutions threaten your wallet, health and the ocean 7 scamp, 1 Types of Fish Mislabeled as Grouper 6 gilt headed bream, 1 5 4 whitefin weakfish, 1 FDA High Mercury Advisory fish Lake Victoria perch, 1 Endangered 3 king mackerel, 1 Gulf grouper, 1 Critically Endangered 2 1 farmed 0 striped pangasius, 2 star-studded grouper, 2 speckled hind, 1 grouper black grouper red grouper Labeled as
Solutions Comprehensive traceability from hook to plate 25
Benefits of Traceability Fisheries Management 26
Benefits of Traceability Consumers 27
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Comprehensive Product Data 29
What is needed? Regulatory or Legislative Action requiring Traceability from boat to plate that is transparent and verifiable Information includes when, where, how fish was caught, with additional info like scientific name, quantity, etc Improved consumer information at point of sale Increased inspections specifically for seafood fraud and legality 32
European Union Requirements The commercial designation of the species and its scientific name; The production method, in particular by the following words " caught " or " caught in freshwater " or " farmed "; The area where the product was caught or farmed; The category of fishing gear used in wild-capture of fisheries (laid out in Annex III to the regulation); Whether the product has been defrosted; and The date of minimum durability, where appropriate. 33
Safety and Fraud Enforcement for Seafood (SAFE Seafood) Act Requires bait to plate traceability for all seafood sold in the United States while providing consumers with more information about the seafood they eat. Improves interagency cooperation to fight seafood fraud. Allows the federal government to refuse shipments of fraudulent seafood from foreign exporters. Tracks perpetrators of seafood fraud. 34
Beth Lowell Campaign Director Oceana blowell@oceana.org