Some people open their mouths and enjoy anything that goes in. But more discerning types worry that grouper advertised on the menu may actually be Mrs. Paul's Fish Sticks.
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced today that his office had reached a settlement with a national food distributor over allegations that Florida restaurants were substituting other types of fish for dishes that were labeled on their menus as grouper. All it took was two years and a $200,000 investigation.
Allegations date back to 2006 centered on several restaurants in the Tampa area. The state took samples from over 20 restaurants and got their CSI on by performing DNA tests. 17 of the restaurants were found to be serving cheaper fish while telling costumers it was grouper. Can you believe it? The suckers paid more for the low-grade stuff.
The distributor, Sysco Food Services – West Coast Florida, Inc., has agreed to donate $100,000 worth of goods to food banks, reimburse the state for the investigation, and to take steps to make sure that all fish it markets as grouper is actually grouper.