National Fisheries Institute Says FDA Should Enforce Seafood Fraud Laws, Congress Need Not Pass New Ones
Washington, DC February 20, 2013 – As organizations prepare to release reports on fish fraud, the country’s largest seafood trade association says there is a fundamental problem with what some claim is the answer to the challenge of mislabeled seafood. “The Food and Drug Administration needs to fulfill its mandate to fight food fraud. That means enforcing laws that are already on the books,” said National Fisheries Institute President John Connelly. “Calling for new laws to fight fish fraud suggests groups don’t fully understand the issue at hand. If drivers are accused of running a stop sign you don’t simply put up another stop sign, you station a cop on the corner and start cracking down.” The FDA maintains a consistent and scientifically sound list of acceptable market names for seafood. For retailers and restaurants there should be no question as to what you can legally call any one fish. Reputable members of the seafood community have been fighting seafood fraud, on their own, since 2007 through the Better Seafood Board (BSB.) “Saying there is a problem is not the same as solving the problem,” said BSB Secretary Lisa Weddig. “Our members have been aggressive in rooting out bad actors and pushing regulators to enforce laws designed to stop this type of activity.” The BSB notes that a menu or retail label, a DNA test and the invoice are all required to show where the problem exists in the seafood supply chain. Only providing two out of three raises questions but provides few of the sought after answers. Consumers should ask restaurants and retailers if they source their seafood from a BSB member.
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Contact Information:
Gavin Gibbons(703) 752-8891ggibbons@nfi.org
Fish fraud investigation report relies on BSB for solutions
WASHINGTON, DC December 11, 2012 – This morning NBC’s Today Show, features the Better Seafood Board (BSB) as part of its discussion of seafood mislabeling in New York City.NBC correspondent Anne Thompson says, “To crack down on seafood fraud, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), an industry trade group, set up the Better Seafood Board. Its members promise to label seafood according to state and federal laws.”The BSB was created in 2007 and all NFI members are required to join.The segment also features NFI President, John Connelly, who tells Thompson, “The companies that do things right feel a disadvantage when either their competitors or their customers mislabel a product for financial gain. It’s just wrong.”Thompson goes on to insist consumers need to ask questions of their servers or the person at the fish counter in order to protect themselves from seafood mislabeling.“Consumers should ask their restaurant or retailer if they are a member of the Better Seafood Board and if the answer is no, they should ask why not?” says BSB Secretary Lisa Weddig. “More and more national, mainstream media is recognizing the BSB, its logo and its members as part of the solution to a widely reported-on challenge facing not only the seafood community but restaurants and retailers. BSB members are proud to be part of the solution.”Members of the BSB have differentiated themselves from others in the industry; they take a back seat to no one in fighting fish fraud.
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Contact Information:
Gavin Gibbons(703) 752-8891ggibbons@nfi.org
Daytime’s number one show talks fish fraud
WASHINGTON, DC February 28, 2012 — Reigning talk show titan Dr. Mehmet Oz is letting his viewers know that despite all the talk about fish fraud these days there is a way consumers can know they are getting what they pay for; ask if retailers are buying from the Better Seafood Board (BSB.) As part of a recent segment on supermarket secrets Dr. Oz interviewed consumer advocate Peter De Lucia from the Westchester County Department of Health. After describing concerns over species substitution Dr. Oz asked De Lucia what consumers could do. De Lucia answered, “You need to talk to your supermarket and see if your supermarket purchases fish from a member of the Better Seafood Board. That board actually strives to make sure there’s proper fish labeling and sell correctly labeled fish to the supermarkets. So, you’ve got to speak up. You’ve got to talk to your supermarket, find out where they’re getting their fish. So you get the right fish.” “Members of the BSB have differentiated themselves from others in the industry. Whether it’s in the Boston Globe, NPR or on a talk show that reaches millions of households every day, more and more, we’re seeing our members highlighted as ones who are doing the right thing,” said BSB Secretary Lisa Weddig. Dr. Oz himself noted during the broadcast that the BSB was driving “quality” and making retail establishments “more reputable.”
The Better Seafood Board (BSB) was established by the National Fisheries Institute to provide a mechanism for industry’s partners in the supply chain – restaurants, retail operations, producers and processors - to report suppliers suspected of committing economic fraud.###
Contact Information:
Gavin Gibbons(703)752-8891ggibbons@nfi.org
Expanded DNA testing of seafood by regulators applauded
November 3, Washington, DC – As part of a conference call with members of the National Fisheries Institute, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discussed plans to ramp up its new DNA fish testing program. Over just the next few months regulators say they will be pulling 100 samples from imports, warehouses, and distribution centers. This pilot will enable FDA to focus its future efforts, which are expected to include pulling close to 1,000 samples. Because FDA believes much of the species mislabeling happens at the retail level it also has plans to collaborate with the state regulatory agencies as part of the crackdown. “This is the type of effort we’ve wanted to see for a long time,” said Lisa Weddig, Secretary of the Better Seafood Board (BSB.) “When FDA is out there testing and enforcing the law it makes fraud a lot harder to perpetrate. Whether it’s on a menu or bill of sale, seafood needs be labeled properly and operations that don’t take that seriously should be on notice; a new commitment and a new data base are in the market now.” According to the FDA Office of Regulatory Science nine labs now have the ability to sequence seafood samples and determine if they are labeled correctly. “Recommitted regulators armed with DNA testing will be able to cut through the finger pointing and buck passing and hopefully have an impact on the type of fraud we’ve heard so much about in the past few weeks,” said Weddig. All members of the National Fisheries Institute are also members of the Better Seafood Board. The BSB encourages retailers, restaurants and consumers to ask their seafood suppliers if they are members of the BSB and if not, why not?
The Better Seafood Board (BSB) was established by the National Fisheries Institute to provide a mechanism for industry’s partners in the supply chain – restaurants, retail operations, producers and processors - to report suppliers suspected of committing economic fraud. ###
Contact Information:
Gavin Gibbons(703)752-8891ggibbons@nfi.org
Flurry of DNA testing reports renews interest in seafood fraud
October 28 Washington, DC – The Boston Globe’s recent investigation into the mislabeling of fish, and a flurry of later reports designed to replicate the Globe’s investigation, are highlighting issues of economic integrity and seafood. “There have been a number of media reports about DNA testing in the last five days that alleged fish fraud. For the past five years, rooting out fraud has been the focus of the Better Seafood Board,” said BSB secretary Lisa Weddig. All members of the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) are committed to the BSB and have pledged to label species correctly and report weights accurately. “We stand ready to work with restaurants and retailers who are interested in making sure the supply chain is free of fraud,” said Weddig. “If businesses want to ensure that they’re working with a reputable supplier they can simply ask if the provider is a BSB member, and if they aren’t they should ask, why not?” “Committing to putting the right fish, at the right weight, in the right box is one thing,” said NFI President John Connelly. “But understanding how we can contribute to fixing this fraud long term by supporting efforts to make sure the Food and Drug Administration is fully funded is another. NFI members, through the BSB, do both.” The BSB regularly reports suspected cases of fish fraud to the FDA and has worked with federal and state weights and measures officials to crack down on illegal practices.
The Better Seafood Bureau (BSB) was established by the National Fisheries Institute to provide a mechanism for industry’s partners in the supply chain – restaurants, retail operations, producers and processors - to report suppliers suspected of committing economic fraud. ###
Contact Information:
Gavin Gibbons(703) 752-8891ggibbons@nfi.org
Reputation on the Line September 2011.pdf
American Scallop Association “won’t tolerate cheating”
November 5, 2010 Washington, DC – The largest scallop suppliers in the United States have drawn a line in the sand, telling cheaters in their industry to “clean up your act.” “We are happy to see members of the seafood community step up and say enough is enough,” said Lisa Weddig, secretary of the Better Seafood Board (BSB.) “In this case the scallop folks have committed to working with an independent, third-party auditing firm. That’s certainly a step in the right direction.” The American Scallop Association (ASA) announced Friday that not only had its members agreed to an economic integrity pledge but that they were also working to engage the National Marine Fisheries Service’s inspection service and some state agencies to address issues of fraud. “From the beginning, the BSB has said our community needs to work with regulators to help them do their jobs fairly and accurately, while weeding out bad actors,” said Weddig. ASA’s program will focus on accurate labeling and short weighting. “Change from within can be the most powerful kind,” said Weddig. “The more we hear about commitments to economic integrity the more we’re convinced real change is in the works.”
The Better Seafood Board (BSB) was established by the National Fisheries Institute to provide a mechanism for industry’s partners in the supply chain – restaurants, retail operations, producers and processors - to report suppliers suspected of committing economic fraud. ###
Contact Information:
Gavin Gibbons(703) 752-8891ggibbons@nfi.org
Better Seafood Board
7918 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 700
McLean, VA 22102
(703)752-8880
bsb@nfi.org
Let’s be honest. If you haven’t seen stories in the media recently about an increased interest in ferreting out seafood fraud you’ve been living under a rock. Busts for short-weighted fish, mislabeled species and tariff violations are up and just about every wanna be Woodward and Bernstein is reporting on it- the pescatarian perp walk is almost becoming common place.
