NYCFish ("Sushigate")
High School students apply DNA barcoding to fish sold in their NYC neighborhood, discover one-quarter is mislabeled
Research report
by students Kate Stoeckle and Louisa Strauss
published in Pacific Fishing September 2008
Dubbed "Sushigate", draws wide interest
The New York Times
Chosun Ilbo (Korean Daily News)circulation 2.2 million
Time Magazine
CBS Early ShowMislabelings were as more expensive or more desirable fish
Among 60 items tested:
- Nile Perch (Africa), Lavender Jobfish (SE Asia), Slender Pinjalo (SE Asia), and Acadian Redfish (N Atlantic) sold as "Red Snapper"
- Mozambique Tilapia sold as "White Tuna"
- Smelt Roe sold as "Flying Fish Roe"
- Caribbean Spotted Goatfish sold as "Mediterranean Red Mullet"
- White Bass (farmed freshwater fish) sold as "Sea Bass"
Mislabeled items sold in 6 of 10 grocery stores/fish markets and 2 of 3 restaurants
Article based on NYCFish study: Wong EHK, Hanner RH, 2008, DNA barcoding detects market substitution in North American seafood. Food Res International 41:828-837.
More "Sushigate:" In a NY Times sequel story, chefs claimed supreme expertise, followed by a Op-Ed “Fish or Foul” highlighting fallible judgment of experts.
URL: http://phe.rockefeller.edu/barcode/sushigate.html
Last updated: Monday, 30-Apr-2012 02:02:12 EDT
