Chippies sell catfish as 'traditional fish supper'

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Chippies sell catfish as 'traditional fish supper' 12 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Daniel O'Donoghue and William Higgens , North West Investigations A type of tropical freshwater catfish found on sale in the north-west of England is usually farmed and imported from South East Asia and is markedly cheaper than cod Rogue chip shops have been passing off catfish as "traditional fish and chips" to cut down on costs, the has learned. Cases of fish being mis-sold or misdescribed are often hard to detect since any investigations are intelligence-led and rely on expensive DNA testing. A North West investigation found a catfish species, known as pangasius or river cobbler, being sold in the region's chippies without customers being fully aware of what they were buying.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute said that while the mis-selling or misdescription of fish was not a widespread issue it acknowledged "there are still some unscrupulous businesses". Are you being catfished by your chippy tea? Catfish, which is safe to eat, is generally farmed and imported from South East Asia.

The Details

It is significantly cheaper, at about £3. 40 per kilogram wholesale, than traditional species such as cod and haddock which typically go for £15 per kilogram. The investigation was prompted by the owner of a Liverpool chip shop contacting the to complain about the dishonest practice.

"This goes on more than you'd think and it's putting people like me at a disadvantage," he said. The analysed dozens of online food reviews in which customers questioned the species of fish that they had bought. Many of them left comments such as "haven't a clue what type of fish it was" and "not cod or haddock, some cheap white fish".

To the untrained eye, fish fillets can be hard to tell apart The reviews led the to identify 10 businesses, five in Liverpool and five in Manchester, for a sample test. Three of the chip shops that our reporter visited listed cod on the menu, four listed haddock and three listed just "fish". If asked, a business is legally obliged to inform a customer of the species.

What Experts Say

The three which did not list a species told the they were "normal fish" or "white fish". In one case the server gestured to a sign which said "traditional fish and chips". Professor Stefano Mariani of Liverpool John Moores University says DNA sampling of fish is rarely done by local authorities DNA testing at Liverpool John Moores University revealed that all three takeaways had sold catfish.

Professor Stefano Mariani, who oversaw the tests with his colleague Catherine Perfect, said: "We used DNA barcoding to identify the species, and we found three out of the 10 samples were pangasius - often known as river cobbler on the market, a type of tropical freshwater catfish. " Mariani told the : "In my experience with fish and chips, three out of 10 is quite a lot - I don't recall seeing this level of catfish. " The portions of catfish were bought for £3.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.