The Guardian newspaper has analysed 44 studies on the mislabelling of seafood. 36% of thousands of samples across more than 30 countries were found to be mislabelled. Although some errors may be accidental, the writers suggest that since most of the substitutions were cheaper fish labelled as more expensive fish, fraud is likely to blame in many cases.
An example of commonly mislabelled seafood is snapper: one study found that 70% of samples sold in the UK were not snapper, but other fish from 38 different species. Another study found that prawn balls sold in Singapore are often made of pork, not prawn.
The writers note that since studies often target species known to be frequently mislabelled, it would not be valid to assume that 36% of all seafood sold globally is mislabelled.
Read the full story here. See also the Table explainer Food systems and contributions to other environmental problems.
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