(fis.com) A Consumer Reports investigation
The report appears in the December 2011 issue of the magazine and online.
Consumer Reports sent the fresh and frozen fish samples to an outside lab for DNA testing. They determined that:
· Only four of the 14 types of the fish bought -- Chilean sea bass, coho salmon and bluefin and ahi tuna -- were always labelled properly.
· 18 per cent of the samples did not match the names on placards, labels or menus. Fish were falsely sold as catfish, grey sole, grouper, halibut, king salmon, lemon sole, red snapper, sockeye salmon and yellowfin tuna.
· 4 per cent were incompletely labelled or misidentified by employees.
· All 10 of the "lemon soles" and 12 of the 22 "red snappers" were something else.
· Tilefish was labelled as grouper; tilefish averages three times as much mercury as grouper. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises women of childbearing age and children to avoid tilefish entirely.
"Americans spent USD 80.2 billion on seafood last year, USD 5 billion more than in 2009, but they aren't always buying what they think they are," said Kim Kleman, editor-in-chief, Consumer Reports. "Whether deliberate or not, substitution hurts consumers three ways: in their wallet, when expensive seafood is switched for less desirable, cheaper fish; in their health, when they mistakenly eat species that are high in mercury or other contaminants; and in their conscience, if they find out they've mistakenly bought species whose numbers are low."
Consumer Reports testing showed that three of the 21 "catfish" samples were actually Pangasius hypophthalmus, or sutchi catfish, which are largely imported from Vietnam, where some fish farmers use drugs that are banned in the US, the report said.
The FDA can give companies warning letters, seize seafood and prevent businesses from importing fish if it detects fraud. However, FDA experts say it is primarily the responsibility of state and local agencies to regulate retail food stores and restaurants.
But in the states where the tested fish was purchased, state officials said their inspectors are not trained to differentiate among fish species.
Consumers Union, the public policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, has called for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to define catfish broadly, so inspectors can regulate all domestic and imported catfish species, and to require testing for aquaculture drugs that are illegal in the US but used overseas.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
(vasep.com.vn) Changing markets, shifting buyer demand, and increasingly complex trade barriers are raising a key question for Vietnam’s seafood industry: Where will the new growth opportunities lie in 2027–2029?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As of the end of August 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States reached $21 million, representing a steep 48% year-over-year decline and accounting for 23% of the country's total tilapia export turnover. Frozen fillets accounted for 78% with the remainder consisting of whole frozen tilapia and frozen cuts.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a volatile first half of the year, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Brazil registered robust growth in July and August 2026. In August alone, export turnover reached $19 million, surging 73% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulatively for the first eight months, total export value reached $124 million, reflecting an 8% year-over-year increase.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Besides modifying their boats, many fishermen in Dak Lak province are making efforts to venture out to sea to harvest seafood during the rough sea season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the Responsible Seafood Summit and TCRS Shrimp Summit 2026, organized by the GSA (Global Seafood Alliance) in Bangkok, Thailand, the conversation about the future of the shrimp industry began with one of its most important foundations: seedstock quality.
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