Q What should be done to improve food safety?
I am amazed by the situation of the oilfish being sold as cod by reputable chains such as ParknShop and Wellcome. There have been a great many excuses put forward for this. As far as I am concerned, there are no excuses.
One could say much, but the fact is there is only one cod, the most common being the Atlantic cod. The term cod, however, is also used erroneously as the common name for a variety of other fish. I would suggest certain retailers have played on this.
However, if these retailers know their stuff, they should know the difference between the meats of a true cod and an oilfish. Further, due to the declining quantities of cod, they would know that the cost of real cod does not allow for it to be processed and sold at the prices for which the 'cod' in question was. The fact that raw oilfish is being sold for nearly 25 per cent less than cod adds to the unscrupulous nature of all this.
In a business of providing such products, a great deal of effort is spent ensuring the quality and authenticity of product. There is, of course, a higher cost of doing business because of this.
Such action is just pure greed. It reflects badly on the whole business and I imagine the ramifications will be huge in respect of trust and the future acceptance of products by the consumer. Well done people.