Are You Really Eating Scallops? The Quiet Fraud That Overcharges You By Millions
A significant portion of scallops sold in the U.S. are mislabeled, leading to millions in overcharges. Learn to spot the signs of seafood fraud and ensure you'r
By Foodie Pundit Newsroom - Published - Updated - Section: Food Prices
Key points
- Up to one-third of scallops sold in the U.S. may be mislabeled, substituted with cheaper fish, or artificially treated to increase weight.
- The most common forms of fraud include selling cheaper "wet" scallops (soaked in water and chemicals) as premium "dry" scallops, and substituting skate wing or other fish punched into scallop shapes.
- Economic incentives are the primary driver, as the price differential between genuine scallops and their substitutes can be over 400%.
- Consumers can protect themselves by asking for "dry" scallops, looking for natural irregularities in shape and size, and buying from reputable, specialized fishmongers.
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Sources and methodology
Reported from the public datasets below.
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