Food consumption trends indicate an incremental but steady shift of consumer choices towards foods and food products that are perceived to be healthy and sustainable. The reasons commonly given are to stay well and to live longer. Moreover, a substantial number of these consumers signify their willingness to reconsider their current food preferences for altruistic reasons.

Among foods, seafood, particularly fish, is the preferred choice due to its lower calorie content. Pink salmon, deep-sea tuna, red snapper and groupers are only few of the popular choices.

Icek Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior is the most commonly used model to describe the relationship between consumer attitude and behavior. The model proposed that attitude, together with subjective norms and perceived control, affects consumer intention and behavior to purchase and consume. In other words, actual purchase and consumption are dependent on information that is available to the consumer. Despite their intentions, consumers are not sure how to choose healthy or sustainable food products. Oftentimes, they are confused by labeling.

A recent US Congress Research Report revealed incidents of fraudulent sales and deceptive marketing of seafood in the United States. These include mislabeling or substituting species, undercounting, over-treating, altered color, and trans-shipment. Among these practices, mislabeling impedes consumer choice the most.

In 2007, Jacquet and Pauly identified several factors in the consideration of seafood labeling. These are species identity, country of origin, production method and potential eco-labeling. And since a lot of consumers are unfamiliar with seafood and seafood products, every one of these factors can be an opportunity for mislabeling.

When fish are sold and marketed in fillet form, the differences in taste and texture of fish flesh are too subtle to be detected by the consumer. More so when they are prepared for consumption. Fish sold commercially in large supermarkets are allowed to be loosely labeled under one common name. Most often, a species that is of a lower commercial value is labeled and sold as one of a higher value.

In a study conducted by the Department of Biological Science of Stanford University, genomic DNAs were extracted from a sample of 77 whole fish or fillets. Not surprisingly, fish labeled as “Pacific Red Snapper” sold in public markets and served in restaurants were found to be rockfish. Although samples purchased from sushi restaurants were not rockfish, seven out of eight of these samples were unexpectedly found to be tilapia, passing off as the pricier “tai.”

In the Philippines, cream dory is a ubiquitous fish dish in restaurants and ever-present in supermarkets. Marketed under the common family name “Pangasius,” this could be the same catfish (basa or tra) that is farmed in Vietnam and marketed in the United States several years ago, masquerading as a species that belongs to the same family as the American catfish.

Mislabeling and misrepresentation, whether intentional or not, affect consumers negatively. Consumers are hindered from making choices in terms of price and their ability to make purchases either for health or altruistic reasons.

With quasi-truthful information, the consumer is left to make his own “informed choice.” He may need more than the tenacity of a marlin.

Real Carpio So is an entrepreneur and a management consultant. He lectures on Strategic Management and Organizational Behavior at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business at De La Salle University-Manila. He is passionate about issues on food ethics. He welcomes comments at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.