Buyer Beware—Organic, Farm Raised, Wild?

Confused on the labeling for fish: “organic,” “wild” or “farm raised”? You should be, because the USDA does not have organic-certification criteria for seafood. Food & Water Watch reports that any fish with an organic label is imported and is “organic” according to some other country’s standards.

Here is what an “organic” label means:

• It was farmed (not wild caught)
• It was produced in accordance with standards set by a private organization or by a country other than the U.S.

Here is what “farm raised” means:

• The fish was harvested from a controlled environment using standard aqua-cultural methods. The fish could come from a leased bed that uses artificial structures like predator protection. Or the fish was harvested from ocean-based pens. In either case, farmed seafood, like conventionally produced meat, may include chemicals. Antibiotics and added growth hormones are also often used.

Here is what “wild” means:

• The fish was caught or harvested from non-controlled waters (i.e., wild).