Post by BBQ Butcher on Mar 30, 2008 7:04:46 GMT -5
Just within the past couple of weeks a couple of food articles in the news caught my eye and thought I would share them with you. The first one is “GrouperGate” and it’s not just happening in Florida, as I know a few friends in other Gulf and fishing states who said the same thing is happening there.
“Something's fishy in Florida restaurants
Is it grouper? Or is it an Asian catfish? Restaurants caught in fish fraud
TAMPA, Fla. - At many restaurants around Florida, the specialty of the house is a slab of grouper, blackened, grilled, stuffed or encrusted with pecans, sometimes on a roll, maybe with a slice of Bermuda onion. But not at Richard Gonzmart’s place.
Gonzmart, whose family has owned the Columbia restaurant in Tampa’s Cuban-American Ybor City section for four generations, won’t serve grouper, because he can’t be sure he is getting the real thing from his suppliers.
Many restaurants in Florida have been caught passing off Asian catfish, tilapia or other cheaper species as grouper. Fake grouper is by far the biggest food-misrepresentation problem Florida inspectors handle, and it has turned up in all corners of the state — even at the Capitol cafeteria.”
Click here for The Article at MSNBC
“State officials are becoming more aware of the problem. Benson’s agency has doubled the fine for restaurants from $250 to $500 for a first offense. Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson has posted a Web page with full-color, high-resolution photos that can show people how to distinguish real grouper — lean, thick, firm flesh — from thinner, darker fillets of Asian catfish”
Between January 2006 and October 2007, Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation found 139 cases of something other than grouper being sold as grouper. This accounts for more than half of all food misrepresentation cases in Florida during that time.
"I guess it really comes down to whether you know the fish or not. The grouper definitely looks different than products that are being passed off as imitation grouper," said Yesh.
Several cases of fake crab and fake tuna were also reported.
The fine for misrepresenting food recently doubled from $250 to $500 for a first offense and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is now taking on distributors by hiring labs to perform DNA tests on grouper.
"It comes down to knowing your supplier and to make sure you're getting a fresh grouper product," said Yesh.
And here is the website that was mentioned above
www.fl-seafood.com/
“Sysco began its own random testing program about a year and a half ago. Cannova said a few shipments received shortly after testing began turned out to be other fish, and they were immediately kicked back to the supplier.
“Never, never, did we ever knowingly sell something as grouper that wasn’t grouper,” Cannova said.”
I find that very hard to believe and I think Mr. Cannova should run for public office, seems he has the right attributes. I know for a fact that at least two of his salesman told restaurant buyers that Basa fish (Vietnamese catfish) could be passed off as Grouper and no one would know the difference. In Sysco’s defense, I’ll say that they were not the only supplier in Florida to perpetuate GrouperGate.
One local restaurant that I was very familiar with was selling the Vietnamese Catfish as Grouper Sandwich, Grouper Dinner, Grouper Fingers, Mississippi Catfish Basket, a sandwich, the dinner and even fresh "Catch of the Day"!
The fish (Basa) itself is a great fish and I like it, but it ISN'T Grouper!!!
A couple years ago there was a restaurant here in SWFLA that advertised "Snook" on their menu. The state got a complaint, checked them out and found they had some kind of imported fish (Nile Perch) from Lake Victoria in South Africa that they were calling "Snook"! They got fined and didn't advertise it any more.
Last year a popular diner got into trouble for advertising "Lobster", when in fact it was a "Langostino" (a type of crab).
One other, now defunct, restaurant in Bonita Springs offered a special one night of authentic “Key West Yellow Tail Snapper”. Seeing that, we scurried down to get in line, as it’s a shorter drive than the Keys! What a let down….I was served a frozen 6 ounce portion of South American Red Snapper. I sent it back to the kitchen with the waitress and message that I’d like to speak to the chef or the manager. Both refused to talk to me. Needless to say I didn’t go back and was not surprised when they closed their doors.
I urge everyone to call (850) 488-0163 (Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing) if you feel that you are being served something other than what you ordered. We pay enough for fresh fish here in Florida and it should be what it’s advertised!
In an article I wrote that was published on October 14, 2007, I said…”To add to the woes of down sizing and budget cutting, is the influx of illegal immigrants to the work force of the meat and produce industries. Literally hundred's of thousands of illegals are working in the fields and processing plants handling OUR food! Other than being illegal, these people have poor, in some cases NO sanitation and hygiene habits. There have been documented instances where some have been caught relieving themselves right at their work stations and, of course, no hand washing afterwards. This is totally UNACCEPTABLE to me!”
BBQ Butcher 10/14/07
Well, well, well......look what is happening in the news!
“Illegals and business: A glimpse of the future?
Feds’ fierce probe of meatpacker Swift seen an ominous sign for employers
Sometime soon, perhaps by the end of this month, Christopher Lamb may plead guilty to harboring an illegal alien. Lamb, 37, was a human resources assistant manager at Swift & Co., among the largest beef and pork processors in the U.S. As immigration emerges as one of the most contentious issues of this election season, his case is emblematic of newly aggressive tactics against management by the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency, or ICE.
"Swift was just the beginning," says Cynthia J. Lange, a partner at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, a law firm specializing in immigration issues. "ICE is looking for the next company. They're looking for brand names."
For years there has been an implicit understanding among businesses that need workers, illegal immigrants willing to do those jobs, communities that benefit from such commerce, and a government that rarely intervened. Now that understanding has been torn apart”
MSNBC Article
Let's just hope that the government follows through with what it says it will....
“As ICE presses companies more forcefully, employers may find themselves in a bind: scrutinizing new hires with greater care while being sensitive about potentially discriminatory practices…….”
Hit them where it hurts the most, in their pocket book!!!
“Something's fishy in Florida restaurants
Is it grouper? Or is it an Asian catfish? Restaurants caught in fish fraud
TAMPA, Fla. - At many restaurants around Florida, the specialty of the house is a slab of grouper, blackened, grilled, stuffed or encrusted with pecans, sometimes on a roll, maybe with a slice of Bermuda onion. But not at Richard Gonzmart’s place.
Gonzmart, whose family has owned the Columbia restaurant in Tampa’s Cuban-American Ybor City section for four generations, won’t serve grouper, because he can’t be sure he is getting the real thing from his suppliers.
Many restaurants in Florida have been caught passing off Asian catfish, tilapia or other cheaper species as grouper. Fake grouper is by far the biggest food-misrepresentation problem Florida inspectors handle, and it has turned up in all corners of the state — even at the Capitol cafeteria.”
Click here for The Article at MSNBC
“State officials are becoming more aware of the problem. Benson’s agency has doubled the fine for restaurants from $250 to $500 for a first offense. Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson has posted a Web page with full-color, high-resolution photos that can show people how to distinguish real grouper — lean, thick, firm flesh — from thinner, darker fillets of Asian catfish”
Between January 2006 and October 2007, Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation found 139 cases of something other than grouper being sold as grouper. This accounts for more than half of all food misrepresentation cases in Florida during that time.
"I guess it really comes down to whether you know the fish or not. The grouper definitely looks different than products that are being passed off as imitation grouper," said Yesh.
Several cases of fake crab and fake tuna were also reported.
The fine for misrepresenting food recently doubled from $250 to $500 for a first offense and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is now taking on distributors by hiring labs to perform DNA tests on grouper.
"It comes down to knowing your supplier and to make sure you're getting a fresh grouper product," said Yesh.
And here is the website that was mentioned above
www.fl-seafood.com/
“Sysco began its own random testing program about a year and a half ago. Cannova said a few shipments received shortly after testing began turned out to be other fish, and they were immediately kicked back to the supplier.
“Never, never, did we ever knowingly sell something as grouper that wasn’t grouper,” Cannova said.”
I find that very hard to believe and I think Mr. Cannova should run for public office, seems he has the right attributes. I know for a fact that at least two of his salesman told restaurant buyers that Basa fish (Vietnamese catfish) could be passed off as Grouper and no one would know the difference. In Sysco’s defense, I’ll say that they were not the only supplier in Florida to perpetuate GrouperGate.
One local restaurant that I was very familiar with was selling the Vietnamese Catfish as Grouper Sandwich, Grouper Dinner, Grouper Fingers, Mississippi Catfish Basket, a sandwich, the dinner and even fresh "Catch of the Day"!
The fish (Basa) itself is a great fish and I like it, but it ISN'T Grouper!!!
A couple years ago there was a restaurant here in SWFLA that advertised "Snook" on their menu. The state got a complaint, checked them out and found they had some kind of imported fish (Nile Perch) from Lake Victoria in South Africa that they were calling "Snook"! They got fined and didn't advertise it any more.
Last year a popular diner got into trouble for advertising "Lobster", when in fact it was a "Langostino" (a type of crab).
One other, now defunct, restaurant in Bonita Springs offered a special one night of authentic “Key West Yellow Tail Snapper”. Seeing that, we scurried down to get in line, as it’s a shorter drive than the Keys! What a let down….I was served a frozen 6 ounce portion of South American Red Snapper. I sent it back to the kitchen with the waitress and message that I’d like to speak to the chef or the manager. Both refused to talk to me. Needless to say I didn’t go back and was not surprised when they closed their doors.
I urge everyone to call (850) 488-0163 (Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing) if you feel that you are being served something other than what you ordered. We pay enough for fresh fish here in Florida and it should be what it’s advertised!
In an article I wrote that was published on October 14, 2007, I said…”To add to the woes of down sizing and budget cutting, is the influx of illegal immigrants to the work force of the meat and produce industries. Literally hundred's of thousands of illegals are working in the fields and processing plants handling OUR food! Other than being illegal, these people have poor, in some cases NO sanitation and hygiene habits. There have been documented instances where some have been caught relieving themselves right at their work stations and, of course, no hand washing afterwards. This is totally UNACCEPTABLE to me!”
BBQ Butcher 10/14/07
Well, well, well......look what is happening in the news!
“Illegals and business: A glimpse of the future?
Feds’ fierce probe of meatpacker Swift seen an ominous sign for employers
Sometime soon, perhaps by the end of this month, Christopher Lamb may plead guilty to harboring an illegal alien. Lamb, 37, was a human resources assistant manager at Swift & Co., among the largest beef and pork processors in the U.S. As immigration emerges as one of the most contentious issues of this election season, his case is emblematic of newly aggressive tactics against management by the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency, or ICE.
"Swift was just the beginning," says Cynthia J. Lange, a partner at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, a law firm specializing in immigration issues. "ICE is looking for the next company. They're looking for brand names."
For years there has been an implicit understanding among businesses that need workers, illegal immigrants willing to do those jobs, communities that benefit from such commerce, and a government that rarely intervened. Now that understanding has been torn apart”
MSNBC Article
Let's just hope that the government follows through with what it says it will....
“As ICE presses companies more forcefully, employers may find themselves in a bind: scrutinizing new hires with greater care while being sensitive about potentially discriminatory practices…….”
Hit them where it hurts the most, in their pocket book!!!