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Mislabeling Essay

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In the United States, seafood is an important commodity. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. imported $20.2 billion in “edible fishery products in 2014” (“Imports”). With such large quantities of seafood flowing in and out of the country, mistakes can be made. For decades scientists have called attention to the problem of mislabeled fish. Although mislabeling fish may seem harmless, it can have devastating health effects on the consumer, and efforts to prevent mislabeling have increased. In order to combat this problem, the government should enforce DNA testing on all fish, regardless of whether the fish are imported or produced domestically. In addition, stricter monitoring of the production process …show more content…

While the list requires that retailers use “either the ‘acceptable market name’ (e.g. rockfish) or the common name (e.g. yellowtail rockfish),” there are still other species names on the list that are neither the market name nor the common name (Logan et al. 1597). Some species are grouped together under one name that the people use and the government says is not allowed; this contradiction questions how thorough and accurate the list is (Logan et al. 1597). *** There is also a lack of regulation or observation of the fisheries. In 1995, the FDA created the Seafood Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Program to “identify and prevent seafood-processing hazards that can lead to foodborne illness” (Davis et al.). However, an inspection by the FDA discovered that few firms are actually inspected by regulators. An inspection of around 8,500 importing firms from 2002 to 2003 found that only “5%--7% were inspected by regulators” (Davis et al.). To add to the problem, the FDA discovered that firms processing fish that can cause food poisoning had “particularly low rates of compliance with HACCP regulations” (Davis et al.). This inspection reveals the limitations of the federal government in trying to solve the mislabeling problem. In order to combat this issue, stricter regulation needs to be …show more content…

DNA testing has become a popular method of monitoring firms in recent years; when it is impossible to discern the species solely on its physical features, DNA testing creates a further look into the species. Although early uses of DNA testing were prone to contamination and often became ineffective after heating, improvements in technology have improved the process and its accuracy (Wong and Hanner 828). Now more than ever, scientists have utilized this technology to identify mislabeled species and to prove how widespread this malpractice

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