Tag: Seafood mislabeling

According to the ocean conservation organization Oceana, over 30% of seafood is mislabeled across the United States, making it a prime example of food fraud. A particularly common deception involves cheaper fish being sold as more expensive varieties, which perfectly illustrates what is an example of a fake food in the modern supply chain.

Food safety authorities and consumers have reported that eating escolar can lead to a condition called keriorrhea, which causes an unpleasant oily diarrhea. This notorious gastrointestinal side effect is the primary reason why is escolar banned in certain countries, despite being widely available elsewhere.

Escolar, also known as the snake mackerel, is a deep-water fish that grows progressively darker with age until it becomes nearly black. While its external appearance is often unfamiliar to consumers, its rich, buttery white flesh has been the source of widespread seafood mislabeling, particularly in sushi restaurants.