Several Italian supermarkets have ceased sales of pangasius fish, due to reports indicating a high level of pollution in fish farms.
Coop has excluded pangasius from its private label assortment, reports daily Il Messaggero.
Carrefour’s Italian unit is expected to join the retailer, after ceasing sales in France and Belgium, warning that “the pangasius farms have a high environmental impact”, and adding that “once stocks of this species are depleted, this fish will no longer be sold”.
In addition, the Italian region of Emilia Romagna has removed pangasius completely from the menu of school canteens, offering instead the local bluefish from the Adriatic Sea.
Pangasius is one of the cheapest fish on the market but the high level of pollution in areas where it is farmed, such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and especially Vietnam has been a constant cause of concern.
The fish is popular because of low breeding costs, high productivity (rapid growth) and high yield (little waste and a lot of meat). At times, it is passed off as other, more valuable fish species.
Clarification: A previous version of this article indicated that Esselunga had also decided to stop selling pangasius. In response, Esselunga issued the following statement: "Esselunga in its 60 years of activity, for company policy, has never wanted to sell pangasius, neither fresh or frozen or as an ingredient."
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up for ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
