|
"How much ice?" is no longer just a question barmen are asking when serving cocktails. In the United States has has taken on a whole new meanting and threatens to become something of a retailing scandal.
Weight and Measures officers in America are finding that frozen fish and seafood products contain far too much ice inside the packaging, and in some cases coumers are paying 23 dollars per pound more when purchasing seafood. The problem has become so serious that is now involves the US Food and Drug Administration which has announced that it is reviewing the results of a multi-state investigation that found that shoppers have been paying for large amounts of ice that are not supposed to be included in the price of frozen seafood.
The investigation conducted by weights and measures inspectors in 17 states found that a coating of ice applied to frozen seafood to preserve quality during storage and distribution was often wrongly included as part of the labeled weight of seafood. In some instances, the investigation found, ice accounted for up to 40 percent of the product's weight.
The FDA said "We're reviewing their results and determining whether FDA should take any action and if so, what actions should we take,"
The National Conference on Weights and Measures recently announced the findings of a voluntary multi-state investigation revealing significant overcharges due to incorrect package weights on some frozen seafood products.
Alaska, one of the biggest seafood states in the US, is holding its head high amid the row, stating that in 82 lots of 14 brands at nine locations officers found zero violations," Dan Breeden, director of the Alaska Measurement Standards and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement department said: " We have an effective package testing programme, and a regulatory cooperative partnership with industry in Alaska."
Should fisheries be closed during breeding time to allow stocks to reach more sustainable levels?
