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  6. Seafood Species Substitution and Economic Fraud
  1. Seafood Guidance Documents & Regulatory Information

Seafood Species Substitution and Economic Fraud

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 snappers (Lutjanus spp.) or 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,  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.

For information on FDA sampling see, FDA DNA Testing at Wholesale Level to Evaluate Proper Labeling of Seafood Species.

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
Various Snappers (Lutjanus spp.) Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus)
Rockfish (Sebastes spp.) Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus)
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
Pink Salmon Chum Salmon
Skate Wings Scallops
Alaskan Pollock Walleye
Steelhead Trout Salmon
Imported Crabmeat Blue Crabmeat
Farm Raised Salmon Wild Caught Salmon
Top Shell Abalone

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.noaa.gov/st1/market_news/
     
  • 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
    http://fish-news.com/cfn/contact-us/
     
  • Seafood Business
    121 Free street, P.O. Box 7437, Portland, ME 04112-7437
    Phone: (207) 842-5500; Fax: (207) 842-5503
    http://www.seafoodsource.com/seafoodhandbook-list.aspx
     
  • Urner Barry Publications, Inc.
    P.O. Box 389, Toms River, NJ 08754
    Phone: (732) 240-5330
    http://www.urnerbarry.com/

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