Rogue takeout restaurants are allegedly substituting catfish for traditional fish and chips to reduce costs, a practice that has raised concerns among consumers. Instead of the expected fish supper, customers are unknowingly served pangasius or river cobbler, a less expensive species imported from Southeast Asia. Detecting such fish mislabeling is challenging as investigations rely on costly DNA testing and are not widespread, according to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.
Catfish, a safe and edible option, is notably cheaper than cod and haddock, priced at around £3.40 per kilogram wholesale compared to the higher costs of traditional fish varieties. The increasing prices are also impacting the potato industry, with projections of price hikes in the coming years due to external factors like the conflict in Iran.
The fish and chip sector is facing immediate financial pressures from rising energy, cooking oil, and fish expenses. An investigation into the substitution of catfish was initiated after a Liverpool chip shop owner reported the deceptive practice, emphasizing the disadvantage it creates for honest businesses.
Sample tests conducted at ten establishments in Liverpool and Manchester revealed that some chip shops were misleading customers by not disclosing the species of fish being served, claiming it as “normal fish” or “white fish.” DNA testing conducted at Liverpool John Moores University confirmed that three of the tested takeaways were selling catfish instead of the advertised cod or haddock.
Professor Stefano Mariani, overseeing the testing, highlighted the prevalence of mislabeled catfish in the samples and the challenges for consumers to differentiate between fish species. National Trading Standards flagged the issue as a food labeling concern, indicating that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) would lead investigations into such cases. Local authorities are expected to handle individual incidents of fish misrepresentation in chip shops.
