Be An Informed Consumer:
Know Your Seafood
Florida’s waters provide an array of fresh Florida seafood to enjoy. The Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing wants consumers to be informed when it comes to buying seafood. Knowing what to look when shopping at a seafood retail market or grocery store, or while dining in a restaurant, can help consumers get what they pay for.
Label Weights and Glazing
One consumer issue is the correct labeling of packaged weight for individually quick-frozen seafood, especially shrimp or lobster tail with an ice coating known as a glaze. The net weight listed on the package must be the "unglazed" weight of the product. For weighing purposes, the product should be rinsed only long enough to remove the glaze. If the glaze is excessive and you are charged for excess ice, it is mislabeled.
Mislabeling or Substituting Fish Species is Illegal
Another consumer issue is the mislabeling or substitution of fish species. Unfortunately, there have been instances where some wholesalers, retailers and restaurants have substituted lesser-value fish without the consumer’s knowledge. The lesser-value fish are from places like China or Vietnam and are not the same species as wild-caught Florida fish.
Mislabeling seafood products is against the law. Consumers are cheated when they pay for an expensive fish but instead receive a fish species of lesser value. The Florida Attorney General's Office, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation have been investigating these illegal practices and placing fines on retail markets and restaurants that substitute fish species.
Grouper Has Been a Prime Target For Mislabeling and Substitution
Florida grouper -- because of its limited supply and relatively high price -- has been targeted by unscrupulous merchants who seek to deceive and cheat consumers. There have been numerous instances of lesser-value fish species being substituted for Florida grouper. If you suspect the item you purchased is not grouper, we encourage consumers to please report it.
Know the appearance and texture of Florida grouper. Grouper, one of Florida’s prized seafood items, is a premium fish harvested from the Gulf of Mexico and southern Atlantic Ocean. While individual species have unique identifiable characteristics, they are commonly described as lean, white flesh fish with a taste and texture which is popular and distinct from most common white flesh fish. Grouper fillets are usually thick with a firm texture.
Florida Grouper
Asian Catfish Commonly Mislabeled As Grouper
When purchasing grouper, look for a label on the menu or at the store. If the grouper bears this "Fresh from Florida" logo, it is required by law that the grouper be from Florida. (Grouper from another country can be labeled as "grouper" but not as "Florida grouper.")
Deal with merchants that you trust. There are many markets and restaurants in Florida that pride themselves on serving Florida seafood.
The Price You Pay For Grouper
Be wary of grouper prices that are suspiciously low. Because the supply of Florida grouper is limited, the price is generally around $11 to $13 per pound wholesale filet value, and the retail value -- the price paid by consumers -- will be even higher. Prices that are considerably lower likely mean that the fish is not grouper, but instead is a substitute species of lesser value, such as basa, Asian swai, sutchi or tra catfish.
Florida seafood industry experts say you should expect to pay the following approximate prices for Florida grouper in restaurants:
High-end, white tablecloth restaurant
Entree: $21 to $27
Sandwich: $13 to $16
Middle-price restaurant
Entree: $16 to $20
Sandwich: $10 to $12
Lower-price restaurant
Entree: $14 to $16
Sandwich: $8 to $10
How to Take Action
- Report Suspected Seafood Substitution by a Restaurant
- Report Suspected Grouper Substitution by a Retail Market or Grocery Store
- Report Suspected Weight Violation by a Retail Market or Grocery Store
- View DBPR’s List of Florida Restaurant Violations
- Read Florida Law on Menu Item Misrepresentation or Product Substitution
All About Grouper
- Find Info About Grouper Regulation and Price
- Find Info About Red Grouper
- Find Info About Other Types of Grouper
- Find Statistics About Florida’s Grouper Harvest
- Find Out Where to Buy Florida Seafood
Grouper Recipes and Images
- Find Florida Grouper Recipes
- Download the Florida Grouper Info and Recipes Brochure, in English (PDF)
- Download the Florida Grouper Info and Recipes Brochure, in Spanish (PDF)
