Chippies sell catfish as 'traditional fish supper'
Summary
Some chip shops in the north-west of England have been selling a type of cheap imported catfish called pangasius as if it were traditional fish like cod or haddock. A BBC investigation used DNA tests to find that three out of ten sampled fish servings were actually this catfish, which is less expensive and not usually labelled clearly to customers.Key Facts
- The catfish, known as pangasius or river cobbler, is farmed and imported from South East Asia.
- Pangasius is sold wholesale at about £3.40 per kilogram, much cheaper than cod or haddock at around £15 per kilogram.
- A BBC investigation found 3 out of 10 fish meals sampled from chip shops in Liverpool and Manchester were pangasius.
- Some shops labelled the fish as "traditional fish and chips," "white fish," or did not specify the fish type.
- Legally, businesses must tell customers the species of fish if asked.
- DNA barcoding at Liverpool John Moores University was used to identify the fish species.
- Local authorities and the Food Standards Agency are responsible for investigating fish mislabelling, but few investigations have been reported.
- Some councils have issued warnings after discovering mislabelled fish in businesses.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.