April 2, 2015 — Oceana discovered that 38 percent of 90 crab cakes were mislabeled — meaning crab cakes listed as "Maryland" or "blue crab," for example, did not contain the actual local blue crab species but imported crab species instead.
When it comes to seafood options, many residents in the Chesapeake Bay area know there's nothing quite like a delicious, Maryland crab cake. The blue crab at the heart of this dish is a cultural icon throughout the region, and popular with locals and tourists alike. But what many seafood eaters don't know are that their prized crab cakes are often not what they seem.
This week, Oceana released a new report that found mislabeling of this tasty dish throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. Through DNA testing, Oceana discovered that 38 percent of 90 crab cakes were mislabeled — meaning crab cakes listed as "Maryland" or "blue crab," for example, did not contain the actual local blue crab species but imported crab species instead.
Nearly half of the tested samples consisted of swimming crab species found thousands of miles from the Chesapeake Bay, such as from the Mexican Pacific Coast or the Indo-Pacific region. Oceana found eight species other than blue crab in these crab cakes — many of which are listed as species to "avoid" on seafood guides, while domestic blue crab is listed as a "best choice" or "good alternative," depending on the gear type used and location where it was caught.
Read the full story from The Huffington Post