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Seafood Substitution
Economic Deception or Fraud in the sale of seafood occurs when a less
expensive species is substituted for a more expensive-species.
For example, the substitution of less expensive rockfish
(Sebastes spp.) for more expensive red snapper
(Lutjanus campechanus) in interstate commerce constitutes fraud
and is prohibited under the Misbranding Section of the Federal Food Drug
and Cosmetic Act Section 403: MISBRANDED FOOD. (See also, United States
Code, Title 21, Chapter 9, Subchapter IV, Section 343.)
Section 403(b) - Misbranded food: A food shall be deemed to be
misbranded if it is offered for sale under the name of another food.
FDA's Examples of Substituted Seafood
Products in
Column A have been known to be substituted for those in
Column B,
which in most cases are products that are more expensive.
| Column A |
Column B |
| Rockfish |
Red Snapper |
| Yellowtail |
Mahi Mahi |
| Mako Shark |
Swordfish |
| Oreo Dory or John Dory |
Orange Roughy |
| Alaska Pollock |
Cod |
| Sea Bass |
Halibut |
| Arrowtooth Flounder |
Dover Sole |
| Black Drum |
Red Drum (Red Fish; Southern or Gulf) |
| White Perch |
Lake or Yellow Perch (Great Lakes) |
| Zander |
Lake or Yellow Perch (Great Lakes) |
| Paddlefish and other Fish Roe |
Caviar (Sturgeon species) |
| Sauger |
Walleye |
| Pacific Salmon |
Atlantic Salmon |
| Pink Salmon |
Chum Salmon |
| Skate Wings |
Scallops |
| Alaskan Pollock |
Walleye |
| Steelhead Trout |
Salmon |
| Imported Crabmeat |
Blue Crabmeat |
| Farm Raised Salmon |
Wild Caught Salmon |
Current price information can be obtained at one of the websites listed below:
- National Marine Fisheries Service
Fisheries Statistics and Economics Division
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: (301) 713-2328
http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st1/
- Commercial Fisheries News
P O Box 37, Main Street
Stonington, ME 04681
Phone: (207) 367-2396 or (800) 989-5253; Fax: (207) 367-2490
E-mail: comfish@fish-news.com
- Seafood Business
121 Free street, P.O. Box 7437, Portland, ME 04112-7437
Phone: (207) 842-5500; Fax: (207) 842-5503
http://www.seafoodbusiness.com/links.shtml
- Urner Barry Publications, Inc.
P.O. Box 389, Toms River, NJ 08754
Phone: (732) 240-5330
http://www.urnerbarry.com/
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FDA Resources:
FDA Seafood List:
Searchable database of acceptable Seafood market names for U.S. Commerce
Regulatory Fish Encyclopedia:
Images of selected fish and their marketed product forms.
