Indonesia to investigate mix-up over oilfish labels

Indonesia has started an investigation into the confusion surrounding the English translation on a certificate sent to ParknShop identifying one of its products as cod.

Nugroho Aribhimo, an official at the Indonesian consulate in Hong Kong, said oilfish was exported to countries such as Australia to make industrial lubricant. The fish is not eaten in Indonesia.

Last week, ParknShop denied misleading the public over the oilfish incident, in which 14 consumers who had eaten the fish, labelled as cod, suffered diarrhoea. It has since recalled all cod supplies.

The chain's general manager of quality, food safety and regulatory affairs, Peter Johnston, had produced a certificate from the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries in which the fish was identified as cod fillet. He said there was no consensus on what to call this fish.

Mr Johnston said that when it was realised the fish sold as cod was called oilfish in other countries, the store added the word oilfish in brackets beneath the word codfish.

Mr Nugroho said said there was confusion in the translation of the species in the certificate issued by the Indonesian authorities.