Worcestershire fish and chip shop owner accused of selling ‘fake’ cod
They are reporting increasing instances of the river cobbler being sold as cod as business owners look to cut costs because of the recession.
The wholesale price of river cobbler is approximately £5 a kg compared with £11.75 a kg for cod.
The cobbler is one of 20 types of catfish produced in Vietnam for 15 years.
It is frozen and exported to Britain, where it is also sold as panga, basa and tra.
In some places fish and chip operators have started stocking pollock and pangasius as an alternative to cod but they are sold as pollock and chips or panga and chips.
Last month, John Dell, head of enforcement at Worcestershire Trading Standards, said: “There is nothing wrong with this fish and it is widely available here in supermarkets and restaurants.
“People have been looking for more sustainable fish species to protect cod stocks. But if pangasius is sold, it has to be labelled as such. It cannot just be substituted for cod.
“That is not fair on the customer or to other local businesses in competition with the fraudster.”
The issue has been reported to the Office of Fair Trading who have since alerted other enforcement agencies such as the Food Standards Agency, who said they were aware that cobbler was being substituted for cod, especially when prices fluctuated.
Kamiljit Ohri. the owner of the Ocean Fish Bar, pleaded not guilty and will appear for trial on September 28.
