Thawed out, or refreshed, tilapia treated with carbon monoxide (CO) is being sold as fresh, untreated fish in retail outlets across the United States, according to a major U.S. tilapia importer. Consumers are being duped, he said, because the fish is very rarely labeled as previously frozen or CO-treated.
Selling seafood products “gassed” with carbon monoxide is not illegal in the United States unlike in other countries, but the fact that they have been treated is required to be plainly stated at the point of sale. But, apparently, this rarely happens.
Proponents of the use of carbon monoxide, which is tasteless, colorless and odorless, argue that it occurs naturally. The effect of treating fish such as tilapia, some species of which are colored red, with carbon monoxide — tuna is another species commonly “gassed” with CO — prevents the flesh from turning bright red to brown as the flesh ages. And this is where the consumer is conned.
What appears to be very fresh fish can be past its “use-by” date, and consumers can be misled because the flesh color hasn’t changed to indicate this. Another indicator of aging and spoilage, of course, is odor. But what if the customer’s sense of smell has deteriorated? Perhaps because he or she is old?
The attraction to the retailer of buying frozen, CO-treated tilapia — usually imported from China — is one of price; it is inevitably cheaper than buying fresh, additive-free tilapia. Frozen, CO-treated tilapia fillets can cost one-third of the price of fresh tilapia fillets, according to one fresh tilapia supplier.
Not surprisingly, fresh tilapia suppliers are trying to get together “to push on this issue of CO in the fresh case.” U.S. imports of fresh tilapia fillets are shrinking, and suppliers blame the influx of frozen, CO-treated tilapia treated for the decline.
“Huge quantities of frozen, CO-treated tilapia fillets are coming in from China,” said John Schramm, president of Tropical Aquaculture Products, one of the biggest U.S. importers of fresh tilapia fillets. “It has really constricted the fresh industry.”
Mike Picchietti, president of Regal Springs Tilapia, another one of the big U.S. importers of fresh tilapia, agrees that there has been a flat market for several years because frozen, CO-treated tilapia is replacing fresh tilapia. “The frozen tilapia is taking over the fresh seafood case because CO allows it to look fresh [when thawed],” he said.
It seems rather ironic that consumers should be so blatantly misled by farmed tilapia producers given the emphasis on aquaculture-certification schemes at this year’s European Seafood Exposition, a point not lost on Picchietti.
“I find using carbon monoxide to artificially color the product and to extend its shelf-life beyond its natural state a deception to the consumer,” said Picchietti. “In the last couple of years the aquaculture industry and our markets are being challenged by trade groups and certification organizations to clean up our act, i.e. to provide more transparency and wholesomeness in our products.
“How can we say we are doing this on the one hand, and then inject a poisonous gas into the product to artificially create ‘freshness’ without telling the consumer, on the other?” he asked. “It’s hypocrisy and bound to backfire against tilapia producers.
“This practice is contrary to the new spirit of transparency and consumer trust building that aquaculture, our trade groups and the certification standards are attempting to promote,” added Picchietti.
Several years ago, the top three U.S. fresh tilapia suppliers — Regal Springs Tilapia, Tropical Aquaculture Products and Rain Forest Aquaculture Products — formed a coalition and testified against the use of carbon monoxide in tilapia at a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, they were not able to persuade U.S. authorities to ban the sale of CO-treated tilapia in the United States, at least not yet.
The coalition, called the American Coalition for Tilapia (ACT), has not met or participated in any action in the last three years, but the partners are apparently talking about joining forces again to fight for their cause.
Given the current situation, this is perhaps not a moment too soon.
